Two of North Texas’ biggest sports brands are now opponents off the ice and court.
The Dallas Mavericks sued the Dallas Stars over control of the American Airlines Center, escalating tensions as both teams weigh their next moves on new arenas, the Dallas Business Journal reported.
The Mavericks’ ownership, led by Israeli-American billionaire Miriam Adelson and family through the Dallas Sports Group, filed suit Oct. 28 in Texas Business Court. The 253-page complaint accuses the Stars, owned by Canadian Tom Gagliardi of Northland Properties, of violating a partnership agreement tied to the entity that leases and operates the arena.
The Mavericks claim the Stars forfeited their ownership rights when they moved their corporate offices to Frisco in 2003, breaching a clause requiring both teams’ headquarters to remain in Dallas.
The Mavs argue they exercised a contractual right this month to redeem the Stars’ stake in the operating entities. The lawsuit accuses the Stars of retaliating by blocking arena maintenance and bonuses for employees, with one filing alleging the NHL club has “held the American Airlines Center hostage.”
The Stars, represented by Winstead’s Joshua Sandler, blasted the case as “an attempted hostile takeover” designed to “marginalize the Dallas Stars to the role of a mere tenant.”
CEO Brad Alberts rejected claims the Stars backed out of a $300 million renovation deal, telling the Dallas Morning News the team had agreed to pay half the cost.
The legal crossfire lands as both franchises explore new arenas.
The Mavericks, under new ownership since Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s purchase of the franchise last year, have been scouting potential arena locations, specifically a 30- to 50-acre site by year’s end.
The Stars have also acknowledged a search for a new home, with Collin County and Plano emerging as likely targets. A $1 billion arena could rise in Plano at the Shops at Willow Bend site if the Stars opt to relocate.
The teams’ leases expire in 2031, and both insist games will continue as scheduled.
The dispute exposes a deeper power struggle over the future of Dallas’ premier sports venue, and could reshape where the city’s biggest teams call home next.
— Eric Weilbacher
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