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Come Fan with UsFriday, June 19, 2026

The only explanation for this Stars defenseman flopping 3 times in a row is the Ghost Bride of Dallas

How does an athlete keep falling over? Now we know.

James Dator
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

On Monday night 24-year-old Dallas Stars’ defenseman Esa Lindell had not one, but three separate flops during one exchange with the Blues.

It’s easy to write this off as a player trying to get an edge during a playoff series, but I’m firmly of the conclusion that the origin is paranormal, spooky and scary. Much like the ghost that punched James Harden in the throat last week, Lindell’s flops aren’t simply the cause of a man-made phenomenon.

What entity could have the power to not only knock down a healthy, athletic 24-year-old multiple times — but also ensure Robort Bortuzzo got blamed? All signs point to one place: The Adolphus Hotel.

Located just over a mile from American Airlines Center, the Adolphus is routinely referred to as one of the most haunted locations in Dallas. Since opening in 1912 there have been 13 reported deaths at the hotel, ranging from “accidentally drinking poison” to four different people who fell down elevator shafts.

Of the reported ghosts there’s one that jumps out as possible in this instance: The Ghost Bride of the Adolphus. The story goes that in the 1930s a woman was set to be married in the ballroom of the Adolphus, only to be stood up by her fiancee. Later that night hotel staff found the woman hanging in the ballroom.

Now she haunts the 19th floor of the hotel, messing with guests by tapping them on the shoulders, causing windows to fly open — while others have heard her sobbing and the faint sounds from a music box. She has a special propensity to target staff during the graveyard shift, which leads us to how this all fits together.

The ghost bride of the Adolphus targeted a young man, potentially because he resembled her husband to be. She left the 19th floor of the hotel and went to American Airlines Center, which is in its 19th year of operation.

While not wholly malicious herself, she was happy to assist in pushing Lindell to the ground. This was a mid-level haunt, and it fits the bill.

Now, please enjoy this video of the Alophus Hotel’s haunted elevators.

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