Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars
2012–13 Dallas Stars season
File:Dallas Stars logo.svg
Conference	Western
Division	Pacific
Founded	1967
History	Minnesota North Stars 1967 – 1993 Dallas Stars 1993 – present
Home arena	American Airlines Center
City	Dallas, Texas
Team colors	Green, gold, black, white
Media	FS Southwest TXA 21 The Ticket (1310 AM, 104.1 FM)
Owner(s)	Tom Gaglardi
General manager	Joe Nieuwendyk
Head coach	Glen Gulutzan
Captain	Brenden Morrow
Minor league affiliates	Texas Stars (AHL) Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) Allen Americans (CHL)
Stanley Cups	1 (1998–99)
Conference championships	2 (1998–99, 1999–00)
Presidents' Trophy	2 (1997–98, 1998–99)
Division championships	7 (1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2005–06)

The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The franchise relocated to Dallas for the 1993–94 NHL season. The Stars played out of Reunion Arena from their relocation until 2001, when the team moved less than 1.5 miles into the American Airlines Center.

The Stars have won seven division titles in Dallas, two President's Trophies as the top regular season team in the NHL, the Western Conference championship twice, and in 1998–99, the Stanley Cup. Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs that year.

In 2000, Neal Broten was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2009, Brett Hull became the first Dallas Stars player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, followed by Ed Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyk in 2011. In 2010, brothers Derian and Kevin Hatcher were inducted to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Franchise history

1967–1993: Minnesota years

Main article: Minnesota North Stars

The Minnesota North Stars began play in 1967 as part of the NHL's six-team expansion. Home games were played at the newly-constructed Metropolitan Sports Center ("Met Center") in Bloomington, Minnesota. Initially successful both on the ice and at the gate, the North Stars fell victim to financial problems after several poor seasons in the mid-1970s.

In 1978, the North Stars were purchased by the owners of the Cleveland Barons (formerly the California Golden Seals), the Gund brothers, George III and Gordon. With both on the verge of folding, the NHL permitted the two failing franchises to merge. The merged team continued as the Minnesota North Stars, but assumed the Barons’ place in the Adams Division. The merger brought with it a number of talented players, and the North Stars were revived—they reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1981, where they lost in five games to the New York Islanders. However, by the early 1990s, declining attendance and the inability to secure a new downtown revenue-generating arena led ownership to request permission to move the team to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1990. The NHL rejected the request and instead agreed to award an expansion franchise, the San Jose Sharks, to the Gund brothers. The North Stars were sold to a group of investors that were originally looking to place a team in San Jose, although one of the group's members, Norman Green, would eventually gain control of the team. In the following season, the Minnesota North Stars made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

1993: Relocation to Dallas

After the 1991 season, the North Stars suffered through poor attendance and profitability. New owner Norm Green explored the possibility of moving the team to Anaheim, however the NHL decided instead to place the expansion Mighty Ducks there in 1992. In their final two seasons in Minnesota, the team adopted a new logo which omitted the "North" from "North Stars," leading many fans to anticipate the team moving.

In 1993, amid further attendance woes and bitter personal controversy, Green obtained permission to move the team to Dallas, Texas. Green was convinced by former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach that Dallas would be a suitable market for an NHL team. The NHL, to quell the controversy, promised the fans of Minnesota a return in the future with a new franchise; that promise was fulfilled in 2000 when Minnesota was awarded the Minnesota Wild as an expansion franchise. The Stars would move into Reunion Arena, built in 1980, the downtown arena already occupied by the Dallas Mavericks.

The Stars played their first game in Dallas on October 5, 1993, a 6-4 win against the Detroit Red Wings. Dallas was an experiment for the NHL. At that time, the Stars would be one of the three southern-most teams in the NHL, along with the newly created Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers as the NHL's first real ventures into southern non-traditional hockey markets. Though the Stars were relatively still unknown, word of the team spread rapidly, and the immediate success of the team on the ice, as well as Mike Modano's career best season (50 goals, 93 points) helped spur the team's popularity in Dallas. The Stars set franchise bests in wins (42) and points (97) in their first season in Texas, qualifying for the 1994 playoffs. The Stars further shocked the hockey world by sweeping the St. Louis Blues in the first round, but lost to the eventual Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks in the second round. The Stars' success in their first season, along with American superstar Mike Modano's spectacular on ice performances would be an integral part of the Stars' eventual franchise success in the immediate years to come.

Green, who had run into financial problems stemming from his business ventures outside of hockey, was forced to sell the team to businessman Tom Hicks in December 1995.

1995-1998: Building for a championship

The 1994-95 season was shortened by an owners' lockout. The Stars traded captain Mark Tinordi along with Rick Mrozik to the Washington Capitals before the season began for Kevin Hatcher. Long time North Stars hold-over Neal Broten was named his replacement, although he was traded too after only 17 games to the New Jersey Devils. Broten was replaced by Kevin's younger brother Derian Hatcher as team captain, a role he would serve in for the next decade. The Stars played only 48 games that season posting a record of 17-23-8. Despite the shortened season and the losing record, the Stars again made the playoffs, losing in five games to the Red Wings in the first round.

1995-96 would be the first complete season under new owner Tom Hicks. In the offseason, the Stars traded for former Montreal Canadiens' captain and three time Selke Trophy winner Guy Carbonneau who was then with the St. Louis Blues. With the Stars struggling to begin the season, GM and head coach Bob Gainey traded for center Joe Nieuwendyk from the Calgary Flames for Corey Millen and Jarome Iginla, then a Stars prospect. The Stars recorded only 11 wins in the first half of the season, and head coach Bob Gainey relinquished his coaching duties in January to be the full-time General Manager for the team. The Stars soon hired Michigan K-Wings head coach Ken Hitchcock to replace him. It would be his first NHL head coaching position. The Stars traded for Benoit Hogue from Toronto late in the season, but finished in 6th place in the Central division, missing the playoffs for the first time since moving to Texas.

In the 1996 off-season, the Stars continued to revamp their roster, adding defensemen Sergei Zubov from Pittsburgh for Kevin Hatcher and Darryl Sydor from Los Angeles. Zubov would serve as the Stars #1 defenseman and powerplay quarterback until leaving the NHL in 2009. On the ice, Hitchcock's first season proved to be a good one. The Stars bested their 1994 totals posting 48 wins, and topping 100 points for the first time in franchise history. The Stars won the Central Division, their first division title since 1983-84 (when they were the Minnesota North Stars) and were seeded 2nd in the '97 Playoffs. Despite the regular season success, the youthful Stars were upset in the first round by Edmonton in seven games. Defenseman Grant Ledyard tripped in overtime of game seven allowing Todd Marchant to score the game and series winning goal on a breakaway against Andy Moog.

In the 1997 off-season, the Stars signed star goaltender Ed Belfour as a free agent after a well publicized falling out with the San Jose Sharks, who had traded a number of players to Chicago to obtain him in January in the previous season. Andy Moog was allowed to leave via free agency, but later returned to the Stars as an assistant coach. The 1997-98 season was another banner year for the Stars. The Stars again set franchise records in wins (49) and points (109). Dallas acquired Mike Keane at the deadline from the New York Rangers. The Stars won the franchise's first President's Trophy as the league's best regular season team, and the Central division for the second season in a row. Belfour set franchise season records for GAA (1.88), wins (37), and just missed out on the Jennings Trophy by one goal to Martin Brodeur (NJD). The Stars were the first overall seed for the 1998 Stanley Cup Playoffs and defeated the eighth seeded Sharks in six games in the first round. Notorious NHL hitman Bryan Marchment injured Joe Nieuwendyk's right knee however, and was lost for the rest of the season with torn ligaments. In the second round they again met the Edmonton Oilers, this time defeating them in five games. Without Nieuwendyk, the Stars lacked the firepower to beat the defending champion Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals, and lost in six games. The Red Wings went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

Dominance in 1998, '99, 2000, and a Stanley Cup

See also: 1999 Stanley Cup Finals

File:Dallas Stars Shoulder Patch.svg

Alternate logo (1999–present).

In the 1998 offseason, after falling just short in the Western Conference Finals, the Stars added what they believed was the final piece toward winning a championship: star goalscoring winger, Brett Hull. Hull had already had a magnificent career with the St. Louis Blues, with three consecutive 70 goal seasons and a Hart Trophy, but a fallout with management led Hull to leave the Blues for Free Agency. This was the first season for the Stars in the Pacific Division after the 1998 NHL division re-alignment.

The Stars 1998-99 season was excellent. The Stars won 51 games, surpassing the 50 win mark for the first time in franchise history. They also recorded 114 points, which still stands today as a franchise record. They won the Pacific Division by 24 points, their third consecutive division title, second consecutive President's trophy, Jennings Trophy as the league's top defensive team, and were awarded the #1 overall seed in the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Winger Jere Lehtinen was awarded the Selke Trophy.

In the first round of the playoffs, they faced arch-rival Edmonton. The Stars swept the Oilers in four tough games, winning game four in the third overtime on a goal by Joe Nieuwendyk. They then faced the St. Louis Blues in the second round. After taking a 2 game lead, the Blues stormed back to tie the series, 2-2. The Stars then won the next two games to beat the Blues in six games. The series again ended on an overtime goal, this time by Mike Modano. In the Conference Finals, they faced the Colorado Avalanche for the first time in Stars history. This would be the first of four playoff meetings between the Stars and Avalanche in the next 7 years. After both the Stars and the Avalanche split the first four games at a 2-2 series tie, the Avalanche won game five 7-5 taking a 3-2 series lead, The Stars rallied winning game six on the road, and game seven at home, both by 4-1 scores.

This was the Stars' first Stanley Cup Finals appearance as the Dallas Stars, although they made the finals twice as the Minnesota North Stars. They faced the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres who had defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. After splitting the first four games, the Stars vaunted defense would hold the Sabres to only one goal in the next two, winning game five 2-0, and game six 2-1 on an overtime goal by Hall of Fame winger Brett Hull. Hull's goal at 14:51 of the third overtime was remembered as one of the most controversial goals ever scored. That season the NHL still had the infamous "Crease Rule" in effect, which stated that if any player of the attacking team who did not have possession of the puck was in the crease before the puck, then any resulting goal was disallowed. Hull had initially gained possession of the puck outside the crease and had made an initial shot that was blocked by the Buffalo goaltender. One of Hull's skates entered the crease as he corralled the rebound, and Hull's second shot scored the Cup-winning goal, and an immediate celebration ensued, followed by a lengthy review. After that review, the goal was allowed because having simply blocked Hull's shot rather than catching it, the Buffalo netminder never took possession of the puck away from Hull. Officials determined that rather than calling it a loose puck, Hull would be considered to have had continuous possession of the puck from before his first shot outside the crease. The complexity of the "Crease Rule," and the attendant difficulties in understanding its application by fans and players alike, combined with the controversy arising out of the disputed Cup-winning goal resulted in the crease rule being repealed the following season. Hull's goal was the 13th time a Stanley Cup winning goal was scored in overtime, and only the fourth to be scored in multiple overtimes. This was the only time between 1995 and 2003 that a team other than the New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, and Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup.

The team added veterans Kirk Muller, Dave Manson, and Sylvain Cote to try to defend their Stanley Cup championship in 1999–2000. On December 31, 1999, Brett Hull scored his 600 and 601st career goals in a 5-4 win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Stars won the Pacific division for the second year in a row, and were seeded #2 in the Western Conference. Dallas defeated Edmonton and San Jose in the first and second rounds in five games a piece. The Stars, for the second season in a row defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals in seven games to reach their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals where they met the New Jersey Devils. Because the Devils finished the regular season with one more point than Dallas, the Stars had to play their first playoff series without home ice advantage since 1995. The Stars lost all three games in Reunion Arena in the finals, and lost the series in game six on a double-overtime goal by New Jersey Forward Jason Arnott.

Hard Times After a Championship: 2000-2004

Hoping to win back the Stanley Cup the Stars again captured their division posting a solid 48-24-8-2 record in the 2000-01 season. Facing a familiar foe the Stars and Edmonton Oilers battled back and forth through the first four games; with each team each game being decided by one goal including three in overtime. Game 5 would also go to overtime as the Stars took a 3-2 series lead on a goal by Kurt Muller. In Game 6 in Edmonton the stars would not need overtime as they advanced to the second round with a 3-1 win. However, in the second round the Stars would suddenly run out of gas as they were swept by the St. Louis Blues in four straight games. The game 4 loss would be the last NHL game played in Reunion Arena.

Moving into the brand new American Airlines Center for the 2001-02 season, the Stars got off to a slow start as goalie Eddie Belfour struggled through one of his worst season facing the prospect of Free Agency. To shake thing up Coach Ken Hitchcock was fired, and replaced by Rick Wilson. However, the Stars continued to play catch up. With the prospect of missing the playoffs the Stars traded 1999 Conn Smythe winner Joe Nieuwendyk, and Jamie Langenbrunner to the New Jersey Devils for Rand McKay and Jason Arnott who scored the heartbreaking game winning goal in the 2000 Cup Finals. The Stars would go on to post a respectable record of 35-28-13-5. However, it would not be enough for the playoffs as they fell four points short of the final playoff spot. Following the season Rick Wilson would go back to being an assistant coach as the Stars brought in Dave Tippett.

As in the 2002 offseason, Eddie Belfour left to free agency to the Toronto Maple Leafs. To begin the 2002-03 campaign, the Stars gave the starting goalie job to Marty Turco who had one of the best seasons for a goalie in NHL history posting the lowest GAA since 1940 at 1.76. However missing 18 games late in the season likely cost him a shot at the Vezina. Because of this, the Stars posted the best record in the Western Conference at 46-17-15-4, along the way two-way star Jere Lehtinen won his third Selke Trophy. In the playoffs the Stars met a familiar foe in the Edmonton Oilers Once again the Oilers would prove pesky winning two of the first three games. However, the Stars would prove the better team again by winning the next three games to take the series in six games. The Stars second round series against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim got off to an unbelievable start as the game went deep into overtime tied 3-3. However, Ducks Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 60 shots as the Ducks scored early in the fifth overtime. Game 2 would be more of the same as the Ducks stunned the Stars in overtime. Desperately needing a win the Stars bounced back to take Game 3 in Anaheim. However, the Ducks would take a 3-1 series lead by breaking a scoreless tie late in the 3rd period of Game 4. In Game 5 the Stars finally solved Giguere by scoring four goals to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, the Stars dreams of a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals would end in heartbreak fashion as the Ducks broke a 3-3 tie with 1:06 left in Game 6, on a goal by Sandi Ozolinsh.

Coming off their disappointing playoff loss the Stars would get off to a shaky start to the 2003-04 Season as they played mediocre hockey through the first three months of the season with a losing record. As the calendar turned to 2004 the Stars began to find their game as they posted a 9-4-3 record in January. As the season wore on the Stars would get stronger climbing up the playoff ladder and eventually into second place in the Pacific Division where they finished with a solid 41-26-13-2 record, as Goalie Marty Turco had another outstanding season with a 1.98 GAA. However the Stars could not carry their momentum into the playoffs as they were beaten by the Colorado Avalanche in five games.

Post-Lockout: 2005-06

Coming out of the owner's lockout that cancelled the entire 2004-05 NHL season, the Stars remained one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference for the start of the 2005-06 Season as they won four of their first five games on the way to a solid October, November would be even better for Dallas as they won 10 of 13 games an took over first place in the Pacific Division, a position they would hold most of the season, as they went on to finish with a terrific record of 53-23-6. One reason for the Stars success was their strong play in shoot outs as Jussi Jokinen was almost automatic when 1-on-1 with the goalie and the game on the line making 10-of-13 shot attempts successful with a dazzling wrister that seemed to have all the NHL's top goalies bewildered. Also performing strong in shoot outs was Sergei Zubov who used a slow but steady backhand to go 7-for-12, as the Stars won 12 of 13 games that went to a shoot out. As the number two seed in the Western Conference, the Stars faced the seventh-seeded Colorado Avalanche. The Stars were favorited to win the Western Conference, and some even had them winning the Stanley Cup. However, in the playoffs the Stars would stumble right from the start losing Game 1, by a score of 5-2 as the Avalanche scored 5 unanswered goals as the Stars jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Game 2 would see the Stars suffer another setback at home as the Stars lost in overtime 5-4 on a goal by Joe Sakic. On the road in Game 3 the Stars appeared to be on the road to getting back in the series leading 3-2 in the final minute when the Avalanche forced overtime on a goal by Andrew Brunette, while Alex Tanguay won the game just 69 seconds into Overtime to put the Stars in a 0-3 hole. The Stars would avoid the sweep with 4-1 win in Game 4, but overtime would doom them again in Game 5 as Andrew Brunette scored the series winner at 6:05 ending the Stars playoffs after just five games.

2006–07

Following the previous season's disappointing first round playoff upset at the hands of the seventh seeded Colorado Avalanche, the Stars made a number of changes during summer 2006. Former Stars goalkeeper Andy Moog was promoted to Assistant General Manager for Player Development (he kept his job as goaltending coach), and former player Ulf Dahlen was hired as an assistant coach. The Stars allowed center Jason Arnott, defenseman Willie Mitchell and goaltender Johan Hedberg to leave as free agents. Forward Niko Kapanen was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers and the remaining two years on fan-favorite right-winger Bill Guerin's contract were bought out. The Stars also received Patrik Stefan and Jaroslav Modry in the Atlanta trade, and signed Eric Lindros, Jeff Halpern, Matthew Barnaby and Darryl Sydor as free agents. Young goaltender Mike Smith was promoted to the NHL to serve as Marty Turco's backup.

On September 29, 2006, Brenden Morrow was announced as new team captain, taking the "C" from Mike Modano, who had served in the role since 2003. Jere Lehtinen is the last Minnesota North Star still with the franchise, although he never wore a Minnesota North Stars jersey; he was drafted by the club while it was still in Minnesota.

During the season, key future pieces, center Mike Ribeiro and defenseman Mattias Norstrom, were added through separate trades. Young players Joel Lundqvist, Krys Barch, Nicklas Grossmann and Chris Conner all saw significant ice time while other players were out of the lineup with injuries.

On January 24, 2007, the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held at the American Airlines Center. Defenseman Philippe Boucher and goaltender Marty Turco would represent the Stars as part of the Western Conference All-Star roster.

On March 13, 2007, Mike Modano scored his 500th career NHL goal, making him only the 39th player and 2nd American to ever reach 500 goals. On March 17, 2007, Modano scored his 502nd and 503rd NHL goals, breaking the record for an American-born player previously held by Joe Mullen.

The Stars qualified for the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western conference and squared off against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs. Goaltender Marty Turco delivered three shutout wins—in games 2, 5 and 6—but the Stars' offense failed to capitalize and they lost the series in seven games. This was the third season in a row that the Stars lost in the first round.

2007–08: Stars return to playoff prominence

In the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Stars drafted an at the time unknown Jamie Benn 129th Overall. After starting a lackluster 7-7-3 in the 2007–08 season season, General Manager Doug Armstrong was fired by the team. He was replaced by an unusual "Co-General Manager" arrangement of former assistant GM Les Jackson and former Stars player Brett Hull. On November 8, 2007, Mike Modano became the top American born point scorer of all time finishing off a shorthanded breakaway opportunity on San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov.

On February 26, 2008 just hours before the trade deadline, the Stars traded for All-Star center Brad Richards from the Tampa Bay Lightning for backup netminder Mike Smith, and forwards Jussi Jokinen, and Jeff Halpern. The Stars rallied to a final record of 45-30-7 and qualified for the playoffs as the fifth seed matching up with the defending champion Anaheim Ducks in the first round. After a rough end to the season, only winning two games in March of that year, the Stars shocked everyone by winning the first two games of the series in Anaheim, and then would go on to finish off the Ducks in six games, their first playoff series win since 2003. In the second round, the Stars matched up with the Pacific division champion San Jose Sharks. Once again the Stars surprised everyone by winning the first two games of the series on the road. In game two, center Brad Richards tied an NHL record by recording 4 points in the third period. The Stars would then take a 3-0 lead after a Mattias Norstrom overtime goal in game 3. Captain Brenden Morrow finished the Sharks off in game 6 with a powerplay goal nearly half way into the fourth overtime. The win sent the Stars to their first Conference Finals since 2000, and met the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings. After falling behind three games to none, the Stars made a series of it winning two games before finally being ousted by the Red Wings in six games.

Fast Starts to Slow Finishes (2008-2011)

The 2008–09 season saw the early loss for the season of captain Brenden Morrow to an ACL tear. Off-season free agent acquisition Sean Avery caused a media uproar over comments he made to a Canadian reporter about ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert and her then-current relationship with Flames' defenseman Dion Phaneuf before a game in Calgary. The incident caused the team to suspend Avery for the season; he was later waived by the Stars. That incident, plus injuries to the lineup including Brad Richards and Sergei Zubov caused the Stars to tailspin to a 12th place finish, and the first missed playoffs for Dallas since 2002.

In the wake of the season, the Stars hired a new general manager—former player and alternate captain Joe Nieuwendyk. Hull and Jackson remained with the Stars and were re-assigned to new roles within the organization. Less than a week after he was hired, Nieuwendyk fired six-season head coach Dave Tippett on June 10, 2009, and hired Marc Crawford the next day. Other off-season moves included the addition of Charlie Huddy as assistant coach in charge of defense and the promotions of Stu Barnes and Andy Moog to assistant coach.

The Stars' 2009-10 season was similar to the previous one. Inconsistent play and defensive struggles plagued the team throughout the season as they failed to adjust to Crawford's new offensively-minded system, and owner Tom Hicks' financial troubles prevented the team from spending more than $45 million on payroll, over $11 million beneath the league salary cap. The Stars failed to win more than three games in a row all season, finished in last in the Pacific Division, and repeated their 12th place conference finish from the year before with a record of 37-31-14 for 88 points. This was the first time that they would miss the playoffs two seasons in a row since the Stars moved to Texas. In the offseason longtime goaltender Marty Turco was let go in favor of Kari Lehtonen to be the team's #1 goaltender for the future. In the last game of the season in Minnesota, Mike Modano was named the game's #1 star and skated around the rink after the game wearing his North Stars uniform, receiving a rousing ovation.

In the 2010 offseason, the Stars released Marty Turco and Mike Modano, the face of the franchise for the past two decades. Modano then signed with the Detroit Red Wings and Turco joined the Chicago Blackhawks. Winger Jere Lehtinen, who played his entire career with the Stars, announced his retirement in December 2010. The team also made key acquisitions, such as winger Adam Burish (who was on the 2010 Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks), and goalie Andrew Raycroft. They also gave Johnathan Cheechoo a try-out, but was he cut and later signed with division rival San Jose Sharks.

To begin the 2010 season, the Stars won their first three games, going on a three-game win streak for the first time since the 2007-08 season by beating the New Jersey Devils in overtime, New York Islanders in a shootout, and against Mike Modano and the Red Wings. During the third game against the Red Wings, the Stars crowd gave Modano a standing ovation as he was shown on the Jumbotron.

After a hot start to the season, the Stars dominated the first half of the season, staying on the Pacific Division lead and staying in the top three spots of the conference. It seemed like the old Stars were back, as through the first half of the season, they went 30-15-6. But after the All-Star Game, the Stars went on a landslide, going on numerous losing streaks and blowing games. Through this though, the Stars still remained in the playoff picture. On the day of the trade deadline, the Stars traded James Neal and Matt Niskanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Alex Goligoski. After an awful 2nd half, the Stars still had a chance to make the playoffs, by winning all their games in April. They won all of them except for last, as they lost to the Minnesota Wild 5-3, costing them a playoff spot.

After missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, Dallas fired coach Crawford on April 12, 2011. In the spring of 2011, according to Darren Dreger of TSN, the team has been "financially managed" by the NHL for over a year. On June 16, 2011, Dallas hired Glen Gulutzan to be head coach, making him the sixth coach since the franchise's move from Minnesota. On September 13, 2011, lenders voted to agree to have the Stars file for bankruptcy and sold at auction. On September 21, 2011, Mike Modano announced his retirement from the NHL. It is likely that the Stars will retire his number in the near future. By October 22, 2011, competing bids to buy the club were due. Vancouver businessman and Kamloops Blazers owner Tom Gaglardi's bid was the only one submitted, clearing the way for him to enter the final stages of taking over ownership of the team. Gaglardi's purchase was approved by the NHL Board of Governors on November 18, 2011.

A bankruptcy court judge approved the bid for an enterprise value of $240 million. First lien creditors got about 75 cents on the dollar. The Stars lost $38 million during their the last fiscal year and $92 million over the last three seasons.

The Tom Gaglardi Era (2011-Present)

As the new owner, Gaglardi's first move was bringing back former Stars president Jim Lites to once again take the reins as team President & CEO. To begin the 2011-12 NHL Season, the Stars once again jumped out to a fast start, going 21-15-1 through the first 38 games of the season. When the second half of the season began, the Stars slumped through the months of January and February, before getting hot again in late February. Throughout March the Stars regained the lead of the Pacific Division. Beginning on March 26, 2012, the Stars embarked on a west coast road trip that saw them visit the Flames, Oilers, Canucks, and Sharks. Going into the road trip, the Stars were in control of their own destiny, having to gain four points on the road trip to win their first Pacific Division title since the 2005-06 season. After the Stars lost 5-4 in Calgary to the Flames, the Stars beat the Oilers two nights later 3-1. This would be their last win of the season, as the Stars were rolled over by the Canucks and Sharks. Even though they had lost the division crown, the Stars still had a chance to clinch a playoff spot. The Stars were eliminated from playoff-contention on April 5 in a 2-0 loss to the playoff-bound Nashville Predators. The team failed to qualify for the postseason for the fourth consecutive year, setting a franchise record for futility. On July 1, 2012, the team signed free agent veterans Ray Whitney, Aaron Rome, and future hall of famer, Jaromir Jagr. Later in the month, the Stars traded fan-favorite Steve Ott and Adam Pardy to the Buffalo Sabres for center and Buffalo fan-favorite Derek Roy.

Team information

Jerseys

When they debuted in Dallas for the 1993–94 season, they kept the same uniform design from their Minnesota days, except for the addition of the Texas logo patch on the shoulders. Away uniforms were black and home uniforms were white. With minor trim changes and the word 'Dallas' added in the 1994–95 season, they kept this design until their 1999 Stanley Cup-winning campaign. The black pants have the word 'Dallas' in gold run through the sides with green stripes.

In the 1997–98 season, the Stars introduced an alternate uniform that partly resembled those worn during the All-Star Game at the time. The uniform was mostly green on top and black at the bottom. For the 1999–2000 season, it became the primary away uniform, and is paired with a new home uniform featuring white on top and green at the bottom. They kept this design until the 2006–07 season, during which the NHL switched color designations on home and away jerseys in the 2003–04 season. The striping was also eliminated on the black pants.

The Stars introduced an alternate jersey for the 2003–04 season that proved both embarrassing and unpopular to critics and fans. The uniform, which is black with a green bottom and red trim, features a modern representation of the constellation Taurus topped by a trailing green star with red trail marks. However, fans and critics deride the uniform crest for its resemblance to a uterus. The uniform was used until the 2005–06 season.

The current home black jersey, in use since the 2007–08 season, features the player's number on the chest and an arched 'Dallas' in white with gold trim. An away white jersey based on this template was introduced for the 2008–09 season; they were initially alternate uniforms before becoming regular away uniforms for the 2010–11 season. The lettering are in green with gold and black trim. Both uniforms feature the Stars primary logo on the shoulders. Their former primary away jerseys, which were used from 2007–11 and was used as an alternate for its final season, has the Stars logo crest in front and the uniform number on the top right, with the Texas alternate logo on the shoulders.

Arena

Interior of the American Airlines Center

When the Stars first moved from Minnesota, the Stars moved into Reunion Arena, which was being shared with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. For hockey, Reunion Arena held 17,001 for NHL games. Throughout the hockey history of Reunion Arena, the arena was known for having one of the worst ice surfaces in the NHL, especially in its' final days hosting the Stars. The Stars played at Reunion for eight years, from 1993-2001. Before the 2001-02 NHL season, Both the Stars and the Mavericks moved into the American Airlines Center, which is in the Victory Park neighborhood of Dallas, just north of Reunion Arena. The American Airlines center holds 18,584 for Stars and NHL games. On January, 24, 2007, the AAC hosted the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game.

Traditions

It has become tradition that the fans in attendance shout "Stars!" and "Star!" during the phrasing of the words as the National Anthem is sung. Before each home game, a video package of team highlights and the pre game theme of "Ain't No Grave" by Johnny Cash is played. At games, as part of the entertainment, a Kahlenberg KDT-123 fog horn sounds after every Stars goal, followed by the song "The Whip" by Locksley. A song called "The Darkness Music" use to be played after nearly every away goal. The Stars had scrapped playing the Pantera fight song (Puck off, also referred to as the "Dallas Stars Fight Song") after each intermission and at the beginning and now plays it occasionally. After each Stars win the Stevie Ray Vaughan song "The House is Rockin" is played.

Broadcast

All Dallas Stars games are broadcast on radio on KTCK under a five-year deal announced in January 2009. KTCK replaced WBAP, which had broadcast games since the team's relocation from Minnesota in 1993. Television coverage occurs primarily on Fox Sports Southwest (FSN), with KTXA (Channel 21) broadcasting games when FSSW has a conflict.

The Stars are one of only three NHL teams to simulcast the entirety of their games on TV and radio, which the team has done since their 1993 arrival in Dallas. The broadcast team features the popular duo of "Ralph and Razor"—play-by-play announcer Ralph Strangis and color commentator Daryl "Razor" Reaugh. Although both the DFW-area's large media market and the team's fan base could theoretically support separate television and radio broadcast teams, the Stars have continued simulcasting due to Strangis and Reaugh's popularity among local listeners and viewers. Like other NHL teams, the Stars now have a live radio broadcast of the duo transmitted inside American Airlines Center on 97.5 FM. This is done because AM radio signals often cannot penetrate concrete and steel building exteriors.

Affiliated teams

Texas Stars

The Texas Stars affiliate of the Dallas Stars, who after becoming unaffiliated with the Iowa Stars of the AHL, did not have an AHL affiliate for the 2008-09 season. The Texas Stars began play in the AHL in the 2009-10 season. They are located in Cedar Park, Texas (Northwest of Austin).

Idaho Steelheads

The Idaho Steelheads are the Stars' ECHL affiliate. Based in Boise, the Steelheads have played home games in CenturyLink Arena Boise since 2003.

Allen Americans

The Allen Americans are an ice hockey team and Central Hockey League (CHL) affiliate of the Dallas Stars, which began play in the 2009–10 season. They play home games at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas.

Season-by-season record

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Stars. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Dallas Stars seasons

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	Finish	Playoffs
2007–08	82	45	30	7	97	242	207	3rd, Pacific	Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Red Wings)
2008–09	82	36	35	11	83	230	257	3rd, Pacific	Did not qualify
2009–10	82	37	31	14	88	237	254	5th, Pacific	Did not qualify
2010-11	82	42	29	11	95	227	233	5th, Pacific	Did not qualify
2011–12	82	42	35	5	89	211	222	4th, Pacific	Did not qualify

Players

Current roster

Updated November 4, 2024

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
10		Oskar Back	C	L	24	2018	Karlstad, Sweden
14		Jamie Benn (C)	LW	L	35	2007	Victoria, British Columbia
15		Colin Blackwell	C	R	31	2024	North Andover, Massachusetts
25		Matej Blumel	RW	L	24	2022	Tábor, Czech Republic
22		Mavrik Bourque	C	R	22	2020	Plessisville, Quebec
63		Evgenii Dadonov	RW	L	35	2023	Chelyabinsk, Soviet Union
1		Casey DeSmith	G	L	33	2024	Rochester, New Hampshire
95		Matt Duchene	C	L	33	2023	Haliburton, Ontario
3		Matt Dumba	D	R	30	2024	Regina, Saskatchewan
55		Thomas Harley	D	L	23	2019	Syracuse, New York
4		Miro Heiskanen (A)	D	L	25	2017	Espoo, Finland
24		Roope Hintz (A)	C/LW	L	27	2015	Tampere, Finland
53		Wyatt Johnston	C	R	21	2021	Toronto, Ontario
23		Esa Lindell (A)	D	L	30	2012	Helsinki, Finland
5		Nils Lundkvist	D	R	24	2022	Piteå, Sweden
46		Ilya Lyubushkin	D	R	30	2024	Moscow, Russia
27		Mason Marchment	LW	L	29	2022	Uxbridge, Ontario
29		Jake Oettinger	G	L	25	2017	Lakeville, Minnesota
28		Alex Petrovic	D	R	32	2021	Edmonton, Alberta
21		Jason Robertson	LW	L	25	2017	Arcadia, California
91		Tyler Seguin (A)	C	R	32	2013	Brampton, Ontario
2		Brendan Smith	D	L	35	2024	Etobicoke, Ontario
11		Logan Stankoven	C	R	21	2021	Kamloops, British Columbia
18		Sam Steel	C	L	26	2023	Ardrossan, Alberta

Retired numbers

Dallas Stars retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Career	No. retirement
7	Neal Broten	C	1981–95, 1997	February 7, 1998
8	Bill Goldsworthy 1	RW	1967–77	February 15, 1992
19	Bill Masterton 1	C	1967–68	January 17, 1987
99	Wayne Gretzky 2	C	-	February 6, 2000

Notes:

• ¹ Goldsworthy and Masterton played exclusively for the Minnesota North Stars, while Broten's NHL career started with the North Stars and concluded with the Stars.
• ² Gretzky never played for the franchise. His #99 was retired League-wide by the NHL.

Team captains

Note: This list does not include former captains of the Minnesota North Stars and Oakland Seals

• Mark Tinordi, 1993–95
• Neal Broten, 1995 (January–February)
• Derian Hatcher, 1995–2003
• Mike Modano, 2003–06
• Brenden Morrow, 2006–present

Hall of Famers

Please see the Hall of Fame section for the Minnesota North Stars for a list of franchise Hockey Hall of Fame members.

• Brett Hull, RW, 1998-01, inducted 2009
• Joe Nieuwendyk, C, 1995-02, inducted 2011
• Ed Belfour, G, 1997-02, inducted 2011

First-round draft picks

Note: This list does not include selections of the Minnesota North Stars.

• 1993: Todd Harvey (9th overall)
• 1994: Jason Botterill (20th overall)
• 1995: Jarome Iginla (11th overall)
• 1996: Ric Jackman (5th overall)
• 1997: Brenden Morrow (25th overall)
• 1998: None
• 1999: None
• 2000: Steve Ott (25th overall)
• 2001: Jason Bacashihua (26th overall)
• 2002: Martin Vagner (26th overall)
• 2003: None
• 2004: Mark Fistric (28th overall)
• 2005: Matt Niskanen (28th overall)
• 2006: Ivan Vishnevskiy (27th overall)
• 2007: None
• 2008: None
• 2009: Scott Glennie (8th overall)
• 2010: Jack Campbell (11th overall)
• 2011: Jamie Oleksiak (14th overall)
• 2012: Radek Faksa (13th overall)

Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise (Minnesota & Dallas) history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Stars player

Points	Goals	Assists
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G Mike Modano C 1459 557 802 1359 .93 Neal Broten C 867 274 593 867 1.00 Brian Bellows LW 753 342 380 722 .96 Dino Ciccarelli RW 602 332 319 651 1.08 Bobby Smith C 572 185 369 554 .97 Sergei Zubov D 839 111 442 553 .66 Dave Gagner C 609 247 287 534 .88 Bill Goldsworthy RW 670 267 239 506 .76 Jere Lehtinen RW 875 243 271 514 .58 Brenden Morrow* LW 788 234 279 513 .65	Player Pos G Mike Modano C 557 Brian Bellows LW 342 Dino Ciccarelli RW 332 Neal Broten C 274 Bill Goldsworthy RW 267 Dave Gagner C 247 Jere Lehtinen LW 243 Brenden Morrow* LW 234 Steve Payne LW 228 Bobby Smith C 185	Player Pos A Mike Modano C 802 Neal Broten C 593 Sergei Zubov D 442 Brian Bellows LW 380 Bobby Smith C 369 Dino Ciccarelli RW 319 Tim Young C 316 Craig Hartsburg D 315 Dave Gagner C 287 Mike Ribeiro C 284

NHL awards and trophies

Stanley Cup

• 1998–99

Presidents' Trophy

• 1997–98, 1998–99

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

• 1998–99, 1999–2000

Conn Smythe Trophy

• Joe Nieuwendyk: 1998–99

Frank J. Selke Trophy

• Jere Lehtinen: 1997–98, 1998–99, 2002–03

Lester Patrick Trophy

• Neal Broten: 1997–98

Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award

• Ed Belfour: 1999–2000
• Marty Turco: 2000–01, 2002–03

William M. Jennings Trophy

• Ed Belfour and Roman Turek: 1998–99

Franchise individual records

• Most goals in a season: Dino Ciccarelli; Brian Bellows, 55 (1981–82; 1989–90)
• Most assists in a season: Neal Broten, 76 (1985–86)
• Most points in a season: Bobby Smith, 114 (1981–82)
• Most penalty minutes in a season: Basil McRae, 378 (1987–88)
• Most points in a season, defenseman: Craig Hartsburg, 77 (1981–82)
• Most points in a season, rookie: Neal Broten, 98 (1981–82)
• Most goals in a season, rookie: Neal Broten, 38 (1981–82)*
• Most wins in a season: Marty Turco, 41 (2005–06)
• Most shutouts in a season: Marty Turco, 9 (2003–04)

See also

• Minnesota North Stars
• Oakland Seals
• Cleveland Barons (NHL)
• List of NHL players
• List of NHL seasons
• List of Stanley Cup champions

External links

• Official website of the Dallas Stars