Dallas Stars

Jersey

Manufacturer: CCM
Material: Airknit
​Year: 1997-1999
Away (Green): Mike Modano Size 52

Jersey History​​

This is one of my all time favorite jerseys. The Dallas Stars were also a relocation team that were previously the Minnesota North Stars. Not being in the north, Dallas would drop the name and just become the Stars. They would continue to use the same style jerseys as the North Stars until this alternate was introduced in 1997. In 1999, this style would become their primary jerseys. There's just so many stars on this jersey. From the piping, to the main crest, to the Texas shoulder patches, this jersey is peak 90's for design. Unfortunately, once the Edge system was introduced, the Stars would switch to a simple basketball/football style jersey with "DALLAS" being the main crest. Not well received, in 2013 the Stars would redesign their uniforms bringing back the green as a primary color and using their new logo as the main crest. They would bring this style back as part of the 2020-21 season Reverse Retro, but reversed it to an all white uniform that I'm still skeptical about.

Player History

Mike Modano: Mike Modano is the best US born player to play in the NHL. Patrick Kane might surpass him by then end of his career, but for now the title is his. Born in Livonia, MI, Modano was drafted 1st overall by the North Stars in 1988. There were some initial contract disputes so Modano would play one more season in the WHL for the Prince Albert Raiders. He would join the North Stars the next season dominating by scoring 75 points in 80 games. He would unfortunately lose the Calder to 31 year old Sergei Makarov, who had been playing professionally in the Soviet Championship League for over 12 years. This led to an age barrier of 26 for Calder candidates from the following year till today. He would stay with the North Stars organization, becoming the Dallas Stars after the team was relocated in 1993. In the first season he would tie his season best points number while potting 50 goals on the year. He continued his offensive dominance with the Stars, helping the club to their first Stanley Cup in 1999. Surprisingly, Modano did not play any where during the 1994-95 or 2004-05 lockout seasons. Modano always seemed to be under a microscope and even though he was a leader on ice, he didn't receive the captaincy of the Stars until 2003 after former captain Derian Hatcher left the team. He would keep his title for only two seasons before he was replaced as captain by Brendan Morrow in 2006. As Modano's point production was declining, he decided to play out the rest of his contract and signed with his hometown Detroit Red Wings for one season in 2010. Modano had gotten everything he wanted out of hockey after that season and signed a one-day contract with the Stars so he could retire in Dallas in 2011.

Modano was the complete scoring offenseman. He was able to play in 21 NHL seasons playing 1499 games scoring 561 goals and 1374 points. He scored 20+ goals in 7 seasons, 30+ in 8 seasons, and 50 goals once. He did just as well in the postseason playing in 176 games scoring 58 goals and 146 points. He would have career high points in back-to-back season with 93 in 1992-93 and 1993-94. Even though he put up a massive amount of points, Modano didn't win any individual accolades throughout his career. The only prize he won was the Stanley Cup in 1999. He was a finalist for the Selke in 2001 and Lady Byng in 2003 but ultimately fell short. He was part of the 1990 NHL All-Rookie Team though, was only on the NHL Second All-Star Team in 2000, and played in the All-Star game in 1993, 1998-200, 2003 (as the Western Conference captain), 2004, 2007 (as an ambassador), and 2009.

Modano did represent the US internationally playing in as many tournaments as he could. He played in the 1988 and 1989 IIHF World Junior Championships. He played in the 1990, 1993, and 2005 IIHF World Championships. He played in the 1991 Canada Cup. He played in the 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Lastly, he played in the Winter Olympics in 1998 and 2006 and won silver in 2002. Modano currently holds some NHL and North Stars/Stars franchise records. In the NHL, he holds the record of most goals by a US born player with 561, most points by a US born player with 1374, most playoff points by a US born player with 146, and most games played by a US born forward with 1499. For the North Stars/Stars, he holds the record of most games played in the regular season with 1459 and playoffs with 174, most goals in the regular season with 557 and playoffs with 58, most assists in the regular season with 802 and playoffs with 87, and most points in the regular season with 1359 and playoffs with 145. After retirement, Modano was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 and had his number retired by the Stars in 2014 as well. In 2013 he joined the Stars organization as an executive advisor, but moved back north to Minnesota to join the Wild organization in the same role in 2018. He remains with the organization today.