(Dallas) The Dallas Stars unveiled a statue of Hall of Famer Mike Modano during their game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Modano is the organization’s leader in goals, assists and games played.
“It’s hard to express what it means,” Modano said, wiping away tears, after a standing ovation.
“We came here in 1993 (when the Minnesota North Stars moved), and we didn’t know what to expect.
“We gave you a Stanley Cup in 1999. We feel like we transformed Dallas into a hockey town. »
The 53-year-old Modano joins Dirk Nowitzki as players with statues at the American Airlines Center.
Nowitzki led the Mavericks to the NBA title in 2011.
The ceremony was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but it was delayed and moved indoors due to continued rain into the afternoon.
Modano played 20 of his 21 seasons with the Stars organization, dating back to his North Stars days.
He was the first overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft.
A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he saw his number 9 retired by the team in 2014.
Modano had 50 goals in 1993-94, the team’s first season in Dallas.
He leads the club with 557 goals, 802 assists, 1359 points and 1459 games played.
The Michigan native finished his career with a season in Detroit, in a Red Wings uniform.
He led Dallas with 34 goals and 81 points in 1998-99. At the end of that season, the Stars beat Buffalo in six games to win the Stanley Cup.
Modano is now a hockey operations advisor for the Minnesota Wild.