Next gen Fidds: Blake Fiddler excited to represent USA at World Championship in home state

It’s not often that you can play in a major international hockey tournament in your backyard – especially when that backyard is Texas – but that’s the reality for Blake Fiddler this week.

Fiddler is the son of former Stars player Vernon Fiddler and a product of the Dallas Stars Elite program. He will be a member of Team USA at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship that will be held in Frisco and Allen April 23-May 3.

It’s a dream come true for both father and son.

“I’ve been there so many times that it’s pretty neat to look around and just see everything,” Blake Fiddler said after a recent practice. “I have a lot of great memories there.”

Vern Fiddler, who has coached his son at different times in these same buildings said he too has a familiar feeling.

“He’s been raised for most of his life here, so it really does make it more special,” Vern Fiddler said. “It’s so cool to just drive up the tollway to go see games that are this big.”

This will be the second time the area will play host to a tournament of this magnitude. The Stars stepped up in 2021 to host the tournament after COVID restrictions knocked it out of Plymouth, Michigan. And while there were some restrictions on attendance, the actual games went off without a hitch, and that allowed the Stars to gain a great relationship with the IIHF and USA Hockey. So now when they’re coming back, it will be with full attendance and a really good vibe across the hockey world.

“It’s a great opportunity for us, and I think something that we have earned,” said Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts. “We had a great challenge the last time, and I really feel we made a lot of people happy, and now we get a chance to do it again.”

The timing is perfect for the Fiddler family, too. Born in Nashville in 2007 when Vern was playing there, Blake moved with his family to Dallas in 2011 after his dad signed with the Stars. Vern spent five seasons in Dallas and after he retired in 2017, he settled back in the metroplex.

As a result, Blake was able to play in the Dallas Stars Elite program, and Vern was able to do a lot of coaching – including as an assistant coach for his son in 2022-23. It’s a dynamic that has helped make Blake – a 6-4, 209-pound defenseman – a top prospect in the upcoming NHL draft. It’s also helped the two grow together in their love for the game.

“I’m very lucky,” said Blake Fiddler. “Guys like my dad are really good at understanding what makes a good player, what can help you on the ice, what can help you succeed. So you see what they recommend and you know that they know what they’re talking about. My dad is always watching practices and trying to learn new things, and that’s been fun to watch.”

Vern Fiddler has always been like a coach on the ice. He had to work his way through the minors as an undrafted player to earn a spot in the NHL, where he played 877 games. In doing so, he was able to establish a work ethic and an intelligence that made him a tough player to play against. He tries to instill those lessons in Blake. He and wife, Chrissy, have set a certain standard for Blake and his sister Bella.

“I expect a lot out of the kids. That’s just the way I’ve always been,” Vern Fiddler said. “Our standards are very high and Blake’s standards are very high, and that’s a good thing. The bar has to stay high. It’s been interesting. There are times I don’t think he wants to hear things, but then he’s come back later and said, `Hey Dad, that made sense and it did help.’ It’s a process, like anything else.”

Blake has been going full bore this season. He played for Team USA in the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament, logged 64 games with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings (and another seven in the playoffs) and also was at camp for the World Juniors before heading to camp for the Under 18s.

“It’s been pretty non-stop, but it’s been very fun,” Blake Fiddler said, adding that the schedule has been a welcome distraction from the upcoming draft. “I’m just trying to focus on the game. I’m trying as hard as I can not to worry about the draft. That will all take care of itself. My focus is on gold.”

And Team USA is definitely in the mix for gold. They opened tournament play with a 4-2 win over Czechia in the preliminary round on Wednesday night. Fiddler once again found his way into the spotlight by scoring the tying goal in the third period and then assisting on the game-winner two minutes later.

In addition to Fiddler, Team USA also has Cullen Potter, who played with Fiddler on Dallas Stars Elite, and Will Horcoff, who is the son of former NHLer and former Star Shawn Horcoff. The passing of the torch is common in the NHL and in Dallas, as Craig Ludwig helped his sons get to pro hockey and players like Bob Bassen, Joe Nieuwendyk, Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter have been seen at local rinks with their kids over the years.

“We have a lot of guys who have really helped out, but Vern has been with the 07’s for five or six years,” said Eric Silverman, who helps run the Dallas Stars Elite Program and coached with Fiddler. “Vern did a great job of helping get Blake, obviously, but also did everything he could to help every player around. He would teach them little details, little tricks on faceoff, how to be a good teammate, just things that he understands. He helped teach them how to be a professional – that’s a big thing that he has.”

And now, Fiddler – a staunch Canadian – is even sporting the colors of Team USA.

“I joke and call him Captain America,” Silverman said.

But it’s a true statement. Family first, y’know?

“It’s very easy: Whatever jersey he’s wearing, that’s who I’m cheering for,” Fiddler said. “We still have our Canadian traditions, but we know our kids were born in the USA and they’re from Texas here, so it’s a big part of our life.”

In fact, Blake takes a great deal of pride in hailing from the Lone Star State, even if he wasn’t born here.

“There’s a pride in coming from Texas,” Blake said. “I love telling people I grew up here and tell people what Texas Hockey is all about. That’s one of the reasons I’m excited for this tournament. I want to show off this area and our arenas. It’s becoming a powerhouse for developing young players. I love saying I’m from Texas.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.