The Dallas Mavericks‘ majority owners filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Dallas Stars, accusing the NHL team of blocking long-planned upgrades to the American Airlines Center and breaching their lease agreements. The legal action signals a deepening rift between the two franchises that share the downtown arena.
Dallas Sports Group (DSG), which owns the Mavericks and is led by billionaire Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law Patrick Dumont, said in the lawsuit that “the Stars are holding the American Airlines Center hostage.” The ownership group claims the NHL team has blocked efforts to improve the 24-year-old arena and is seeking court confirmation of its lease rights, along with injunctive relief to move forward with planned renovations. DSG acquired a 69% majority stake in the Mavericks in December 2023 for roughly $3.5 billion.
The Stars, led by owner Tom Gaglardi, quickly responded with a countersuit seeking to restore normal operations at the arena. Team officials called the Mavericks’ lawsuit “nothing short of an attempted hostile takeover of the management of the AAC,” saying it attempts to reduce the Stars to “a mere tenant” and could ultimately push the franchise out of Dallas. The NHL team also highlighted recent investments, including $30 million in renovations, aimed at enhancing the fan experience.
Could Mavericks or Stars leave Dallas?
Both teams share a joint operating company that manages the American Airlines Center, which is owned by the city of Dallas. DSG alleges that the Stars have resisted improvements and violated a long-standing agreement to maintain their corporate headquarters in Dallas through 2031 by moving offices to Frisco. The Stars counter that the Frisco facility is used in conjunction with their principal downtown office.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert weighed in on the dispute, urging both franchises to maintain their commitment to the city.
“That would be the best outcome for the two teams and their fans,” she said, via CBS News Texas.
The legal battle comes amid separate plans by both teams to explore new venues. Front Office Sports reported earlier in October that relocating the Stars to suburban Plano by 2031 is a leading option, potentially allowing for a mixed-use development around a new arena. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have begun planning a new arena independent of the hockey team, a project led by CEO and Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Welts, per the report.
The dispute echoes past co-tenant conflicts in other cities, such as Philadelphia, where NBA and NHL team owners debated arena development. Unlike that situation, however, the Dallas case has already moved into Texas Business Court.
