DALLAS: A statue honoring Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano was unveiled during the Dallas Stars’ 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Modano leads the team in games played, assists, and goals.
After receiving a one-minute standing ovation, Modano observed, “It’s hard to put into words what this has meant.” When the Minnesota North Stars relocated to Dallas thirty years ago, we boarded a plane and arrived here in 1993, not knowing what to anticipate.
Five years later we gave you a Stanley Cup in 1999. … We feel we’ve turned Dallas into a hockey town.”
We feel we’ve made Dallas into a hockey town. Five years later, in 1999, we awarded you a Stanley Cup.”
The 53-year-old Modano is one of the players having a statue inside American Airlines Center, along with former Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki was the Mavs’ only NBA champion.
“I appreciate Dirk holding out a spot for me,” Modano stated.
Because of the persistent afternoon rain, the event, which was originally planned for Saturday afternoon, was rescheduled to take place indoors.
Since the Stars were once known as the North Stars, Modano has spent 20 of his 21 NHL seasons with the team. In 1988, he was selected first overall by the NHL. The franchise retired the Hockey Hall of Fam hier’s No. 9 jersey in
Modano scored a team-high 50 goals in 1993-94 in the team’s first season in Dallas. He leads the franchise with 557 goals, 802 assists, 1,359 points and 1,459 games played. The Michigan native finished his career with one season with Detroit.
He led Dallas with 34 goals and 81 points in 1998-99, when the Stars beat Buffalo in six games to win the Stanley Cup.
Modano is a hockey operations advisor for the Minnesota Wild.
