Stepping up: Thomas Harley finding his way through unique 2025-26 season

When Miro Heiskanen missed 30 games last season, Thomas Harley used it to take a giant leap in his career.

And when Heiskanen was out the past two games with a family issue, it just might have been a quick reminder of what last season meant to Harley.

“It’s confidence,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “You get into those games and you don’t think as much and just play, and I think that helps your confidence.”

That’s exactly what happened with Harley last season. Heiskanen went out in late January and didn’t return until the Second Round of the playoffs. For a man who leads the Stars in time on ice and always is among the league leaders in minutes played, that’s a pretty big hole to fill. Harley, 24, was in the AHL a couple of years earlier and still was trying to find his place in the rotating Rubik’s Cube that is the Stars defense, so heading right to the top of the pyramid was, to say the least, a challenge.

His time on ice went up three minutes a game. He played more on the PK, he started running the No. 1 power play unit. It was some heavy stuff. He got called in as a late addition to Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and helped them win gold. He averaged more than 27 minutes per game in a seven-game series win against Colorado, tallying 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists).

“You just want to play hockey, so any chance to play more or in a bigger situation, that’s a good thing,” said Harley.

That performance helped provide the traction for an eight-year contract extension that will start next season and pay him an average of $10.587 million per year. That’s both reassuring and scary. Yes, the first-round pick has taken a big step in his career, but now the pressure is dialed up even higher.

Harley has already been named to the Canadian Olympic Team, so that is both a motivator and a possible distraction. Mix in the contract and missing nearly a month earlier in the season because of a lower-body injury, and this hasn’t been a great year so far.

Still, the past two seasons show his potential and give the organization the confidence that he will battle through. And, while it was just a glimpse in two losses, playing almost 30 minutes a game while Heiskanen has been out definitely brings back visions of the dominating defenseman.

In Thursday’s 2-1 loss at Utah, Harley ran the first power play and also was on the ice for more than three minutes while Dallas tried to tie the game with the goalie pulled.

“What I see from Harls, which is good for any player, is how many puck touches he’s getting,” Gulutzan said. “I thought our power play looked dangerous, I also think all the touches 6-on-5, that always helps a player like that.”

Harley said he felt better on the ice.

“It was nice to have some increased minutes in power play and PK, and everything that comes along with it,” he said. “I wish I did a little bit more with it, but hopefully I can use that for the rest of the season.”

Heiskanen is expected to return on Sunday against Tampa Bay, so Harley will slot back to where he was. But Gulutzan has some decisions to make on defense. Does he want to put Harley and Heiskanen back together again? Can Harley carry a skilled player like Nils Lundkvist or is he better off with a more defensive partner?

It's part of the journey with a blossoming blueliner who will be key in helping this team take the next step in its drive to win a Stanley Cup.

“It’s hard to win in this league, so you just have to keep working and grinding,” Harley said. “You have to do it every single day.”

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.