PLYMOUTH, MI – OCTOBER 18: JP Hurlbert #37 of USNTDP shoots and scores during a game between Muskegon Lumberjacks and USNTDP U17 at USA Hockey Arena on October 18, 2024 in Plymouth, Michigan. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)Michael Miller/ISI Photos / Contributor

Allen's JP Hurlbert is ‘proof' hockey dreams can come true in Texas

Hurlbert, an 18-year-old Allen native, is projected to be the first Texan to be taken in the first round of the NHL draft since Seth Jones in 2013.

by · 5 NBCDFW

IRVING — There may not be a place where J.P. Hurlbert feels more comfortable than skating on his home rink.

The Children’s Health StarsCenter in Valley Ranch has been his hockey home since he was 4 years old.

For over a decade, he’s spent six days a week training at the facility operated by his hometown Dallas Stars, improving his game and visualizing his dream of playing in the NHL.

As Hurlbert runs drills and practices his shot, he looks to the back wall that is lined with two rows of banners.

The NHL Draft begins Friday night. The Stars do not have a pick in the first round as of Thursday morning.

You can read more from our media partner, The Dallas Morning News.