By Dylan Pescatore
May 4, 2026
Texas Stars forward Jack Becker grew up in Dellwood, Minnesota, 20 minutes outside of the Twin Cities. He didn’t have to go far to find a place to skate growing up. His dad, Russ, built a backyard rink for Jack and his two brothers to use whenever they pleased.
Russ Becker played all the way through college, spending four years at Michigan Tech University, where he was even defensive partners with Texas Stars General Manager Scott White. He has been one of Jack’s biggest supporters throughout his career, but never let up when it came to teaching his son the game.
One of the families fondest memories came while skating on their backyard rink during the holiday season. During a fun family game, Jack caught an accidental knock to the face that had him running back to the house with a bloody nose. Even if there were some bumps and bruises definitely laughs along the way, Russ shared so much of his knowledge of the game with Jack, and most of the lessons remain relevant to this day.
“It was always about work ethic, and that’s something you can always control,” Jack said. “You can always control what you put forth every single day, and that’s how you have success.” Becker had his first moment in the spotlight when he was five years old at the NHL All-Star Game in 2003. The festivities were at the home of the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul, and when the NHL All-Stars took the ice for warmups, Jack’s cheeks were glued to the glass, which made him the talk around his school the next day.
“A guy from the Pioneer Press in Minnesota just caught me. I was staring at the players through the glass during warm-ups,” Jack said. “I go back to school on Monday, and my kindergarten teacher is like, ‘You’re on the front page of the paper.’”
Jack’s love for the sport continued to grow after that experience. During his junior year at Mahtomedi High School in Minnesota, he went from watching through the glass to skating on that same ice sheet as his team made the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament.
“I just remember when I first stepped out for warm-ups how much brighter it was with the lights,” he said. “Our whole city was in the stands, and it was a dream come true.”
Jack played parts of three seasons in the United States Hockey League, and got the call any 18-year-old dreamed of. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins.
“I was actually on my way to my buddy’s cabin, and I wasn’t sure if I was gonna get drafted or not,” he said. “We were all going up to Wisconsin, and I got a call that I got drafted.”
The next step for Jack was college, and he committed to Michigan Tech, where his dad played. Their head coach at the time, Mel Pearson, was an assistant coach when Russ Becker suited up for the Huskies. The summer before Jack was expected to enroll, Pearson left the program to become the head coach at the University of Michigan. He asked Jack to come to Ann Arbor with him, and a few months later, Becker was donning the maize and blue. Becker wouldn’t trade his four years at Michigan for anything, but adversity hit during his junior and senior seasons. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down his junior season during the Big Ten Tournament. The following year, the Wolverines were in Fargo, North Dakota, for the first round of the NCAA tournament. Some of his teammates tested positive for the virus, and just hours before their game, the NCAA deemed Michigan ineligible to compete. Their season was over.
“(It) totally sucks the wind out of your sails,” Becker said. “We worked so hard all year, and that year we made so many sacrifices away from the rink to try not to get COVID.”
Becker transferred to Arizona State University for his final year of college eligibility. He earned his master’s degree and finished his college career on his terms. He then signed an ECHL contract with the Idaho Steelheads. During his second season in Boise, Becker was called up to the Texas Stars and hasn’t looked back.
Becker played a big part in the Stars reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, playing in all but two games in the regular season and playoffs.
This season has been different. Texas got off to a slow start before turning its season around as the calendar flipped to 2026. Becker says the team leaned on their chemistry and culture to get back onto the winning path.
“I think we started out 0-6, and then we all came together,” he said. “There’s always adversity in this league, and in the second half we’ve all been pulling in the same direction.”
Texas finished with the second-most wins in the Central Division. Becker credits the culture that Curtis McKenzie and a few of the other veterans on the team have built.
“I like to think about it as paying it forward. I remember when I came here to Texas, just how easy the guys made it for me, and that is really attributed to Curtis,” said Becker.
Becker was an important part of the team’s turnaround, as he tallied 40 points in 71 games while setting new career highs in goals, assists, and points. It’s playoff season now for the Stars, and with the pressure the highest, Becker knows this group is one that will stick together to the end.
“This team, I would say, just ‘togetherness’ is the first word that comes to my mind,” said Becker. “I think we just have so much fun together.”
Becker has made many stops on his way to calling Cedar Park home. His journey is one that has consistently changed where his feet are, but his leadership and drive to be great is something that has never wavered.
