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Now a member of the Wild, John Klingberg makes Dallas homecoming

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·3 min read

DALLAS — John Klingberg has long made a habit of bringing his best in the playoffs.

Making his playoff debut for the Dallas Stars in 2016, the veteran defenseman was a thorn in the side of the Wild then, finishing the first-round series against them with a goal and a pair of assists. A few years later, Klingberg memorably sent the Stars to the second round with an overtime winner in the series clincher against the Nashville Predators. Then there was the Stanley Cup run in 2020 when Klingberg finished with 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) in 26 games before the Stars lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

What about the playoffs has brought so much success?

“I don’t know,” Klingberg admitted. “Just a more exciting time to play. I always want to be a difference-maker out there and that sometimes can bite me in the (expletive) as well. Sometimes I think I have to put a leash on myself because I really want to be out there and be a difference-maker.”

After spending a decade with the Stars being exactly that, Klingberg is now a member of the Wild. He arrived at the trade deadline via a down-to-the-wire deal between the Wild and the Anaheim Ducks, then spent the final month of the regular season acclimating to his new teammates.

Now, the 30-year-old is making a homecoming, slotting into the Wild lineup for Game 5 on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center. Though Klingberg played against the Stars during the regular season, this is the first time he has played a playoff game in Dallas as a member of the opposition.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “Obviously a lot of history.”

No doubt it helps that Klingberg has already played a couple of games in the series. After missing Games 1 and 2 in Dallas with a minor injury, he played in Games 3 and 4 in St. Paul. That experience should help Klingberg manage his emotions in his former home arena.

“He doesn’t get too rattled with a lot of stuff,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “He’s going to be fine. He’s a big part of our offensive threat on the power play and 5-on-5. We’re looking forward to him playing a solid game.”

His reputation as a dynamic player is something that has followed Klingberg throughout his career.

“Just the way he can move on the blue line,” Wild captain Jared Spurgeon said. “He’s so good. He never stops moving. He can always find a way to get his shot through, and he’s always up in the offensive rushes making plays. He’s just been huge for us.”

As for the familiar faces on the ice, Klingberg mentioned Stars players Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell, among a handful of others, as friends he will have forever. He added that many of his former teammates were at his wedding in Sweden last summer.

Needless to say, they keep in touch regularly, and likely will for the rest of their lives. Just not during the playoffs.

“We texted before the series started,” Klingberg said. “We also said we’ll chat in two weeks.”

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