Mailbag: Trouba trade rumors with Rangers; coping with travel | NHL.com

The Dallas Stars have the most travel miles this upcoming season. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the least. How much of an advantage is there for teams in the northeast? Seems they don’t travel as much or cross many time zones. — @theashcity

I saw something about this on X. I don’t have it confirmed, but it makes sense that the Stars, the only team in Texas, the largest state in the continental United States, would have the most travel in the NHL, especially this season since they are playing the Florida Panthers at the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland presented by Fastenal at Nokia Arena in Tampere on Nov. 1-2.

The closest team to Stars in the Central Division is the St. Louis Blues at 630 miles. They play there once this season. It’s more than 900 miles to Chicago and Minnesota, and more than 1,200 each to Utah and Winnipeg. They go to each of those four cities twice. The Stars play 33 of their 82 games outside of the Central time zone, including the two in Finland, which is eight time zones away from Dallas. 

It is all a factor when considering the wear and tear the Stars players will have on their bodies by the end of the regular season. And, yes, it’s an advantage for the teams in the northeast, especially the majority in the Metropolitan Division. Less travel means more time spent at home, which equals more nights in your own bed and the ability to control your sleep patterns better. It plays a major role in performance and recovery. 

But the Stars should be prepared for the travel. There is a science to rest and recovery when it comes to performance, specifically for professional athletes, and the knowledge within the medical community continues to evolve and grow. The Stars have a director of sports performance. They will have a plan for when to fly after road games and when to stay an extra night in a city to optimize sleep. Their practice schedule will be dictated by their travel. The travel will be significant, but it is for anybody who plays in the Western Conference. There is a geographic advantage to playing in the Eastern Conference.