The 2019–20 Dallas Stars season was the 53rd season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 5, 1967, and 27th season since the franchise relocated from Minnesota prior to the start of the 1993–94 NHL season. The Stars advanced to the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007–08. On December 10, 2019, Jim Montgomery was dismissed and replaced by Rick Bowness. The season was suspended by the league officials on March 12, 2020, after several other professional and collegiate sports organizations followed suit as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On May 26, the NHL regular season was officially declared over with the remaining games being cancelled. The NHL officially resumed play in two controlled locations in August 2020, with Western Conference teams, including Dallas, playing in Edmonton and Eastern Conference teams in Toronto. The Stars advanced to the playoffs and played in a round-robin tournament, which determined the team's seed for the playoffs; Dallas was ultimately seeded third, entering them into a first-round series against the Calgary Flames, which they won in six games. The Stars then faced the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, defeating them in seven games. In the Western Conference Final, the Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. They were ultimately defeated in six games by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Standings Divisional standings Western Conference Tiebreaking procedures Fewer number of games played (only used during regular season). Greater number of regulation wins (denoted by RW). Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime (excluding shootout wins; denoted by ROW). Greater number of total wins (including shootouts). Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded. Greater goal differential (difference between goals for and goals against). Greater number of goals scored (denoted by GF). Schedule and results Preseason The pre-season schedule was published on June 13, 2019. Regular season The NHL regular season schedule was released on June 25, 2019. The Stars hosted the 2020 NHL Winter Classic against the Nashville Predators, the first outdoor game for both teams, winning by a final score of 4–2. Playoffs The Stars played in a round-robin