Magnus Hellberg has decided to return to his home country of Sweden next season, signing a contract with Djurgardens IF for the 2025-26 season. Hellberg was a part of the Texas Stars goaltending duo that went all the way to the Western Conference Final, eventually losing to Abbotsford in six games. Hellberg was a part of the playoffs, splitting starts with Remi Poirier. Poirier re-signed with Texas next season along with Ben Kraws, who are slated to be the duo in the AHL next year. Coachella Valley forward Lleyton Roed scores the game-winning goal past Texas goalie Magnus Hellberg during the third period of their game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/9f23e1dd-2e2f-4a6d-83fd-6d234d6fc8be.jpeg] Coachella Valley forward Lleyton Roed scores the game-winning goal past Texas goalie Magnus Hellberg during the third period of their game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Hellberg was signed predominantly to be a NHL-caliber backup in case Jake Oettinger suffered an injury like the prior two seasons. Hellberg had good stats at the NHL level with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the prior season and provided some cushion behind Casey DeSmith. As fate would have it, Oettinger did not suffer any major injuries and Hellberg did not have to fill in but for a couple of games as a backup. It seems a bit surprising that Hellberg would choose to leave the NHL/AHL so closely removed from having decent numbers, but he is 34 and a native of Sweden. He has a young child and might want to move back to his homeland for more than just hockey reasons. Hellberg finished with a 2.69 GAA and .904 save percentage in 41 games for Texas. Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Former Dallas Goaltender Heading to University of Maine Hall of Fame [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/former-dallas-goaltender-heading-to-university-of-maine-hall-of-fame] Dallas Trio Highlight Preliminary Roster For Finland [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/dallas-trio-highlight-preliminary-roster-for-finland] Dallas Stars Sign Depth Netminder [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/dallas-stars-sign-depth-netminder] Valuable Defenseman Could Still Be Odd Man Out For Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/players/valuable-defenseman-could-still-be-odd-man-out-for-stars] Esa Lindell Named Finland's Male Hockey Player Of The Year [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/esa-lindell-named-finland-s-male-hockey-player-of-the-year] * Follow Taylor on Twitter: @THN_taylor
