The Dallas Stars are set to honor a franchise legend.
During Dallas’ game against the New York Rangers on Monday night, the team announced it would unveil a statue of former team captain Mike Modano on the PNC Plaza outside the American Airlines Center. Modano spent 20 years of his 21-year career with the team while helping to lead the franchise to its only Stanley Cup in 1999.
“What Mike did for our franchise, the city of Dallas, and the state of Texas will never be forgotten,” Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts said in an official press release. “With his number hanging in the rafters, we’re now thrilled to honor and celebrate the indelible impact he made in an everlasting way.”
The statue will be created by Illinois-based the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany, which has previously created sculptures of other athletes, including Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham, Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers, Ken Griffey Jr., and former University of Texas baseball coach Augie Garrido, among others.
The same studio created the statue of Dallas Mavericks’ great Dirk Nowitzki, unveiled on the PNC Plaza last December.
“Being out there on the plaza with Dirk obviously means a lot,” Modano told the media during a press conference on Monday. “He’s been such a great friend and good guy, and [we’ve] done a lot of things that were exciting for each of us and our teams and the city. … I thought it was just kind of the icing on the whole thing.”
The Stars drafted Modano first overall in 1988, four seasons before the team left Minnesota for Dallas. He went on to become the franchise’s leader in games played (1,459), goals (557), assists (802), points (1,359), shorthanded goals (29), game-winning goals (92), and power-play goals (156). He is also the all-time highest-scoring American hockey player and the NHL’s 26th career-leading scorer.
“We came here boots on the ground and just tried to promote the heck out of the game,” Modano added. “We felt if we got people in the stands, they would get hooked. It was the speed, the physical, the finesse of the game. I think it was eye-catching to people who hadn’t been around the game. There were some magical years, and it certainly solidified Dallas as a hockey market.”
Modano retired in 2011 after spending his final season with the Detroit Red Wings. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame in 2019.
Modano’s statue will be revealed at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 16, 2024, ahead of Dallas’ 7 p.m. game against the Los Angeles Kings.
