Mike Modano: A major reason why Hockey grew in Texas -NHL Special
There were a few players throughout history that have really made a lasting impact on the sport of hockey and one of them was definitely former Dallas Stars legend, Mike Modano, who not only established himself as one of the best, but also grew the sport
played on ice in a place like Texas.
Texas is more accustomed to football, baseball and basketball, but ice hockey is something the desert state never got to experience until Mike Modano hit the scene and brought together a whole new fan base.
Now, the Dallas Stars are without a doubt, one of the most well known franchises in the world of sports and have given hockey a name in a state where the temperatures can go above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Another thing is that the next great pool of hockey
prospects is also growing in Texas as more and more youngsters focus on making this sport their choice of career after looking at Modano’s success as an NHLer.
"He was the poster child for USA Hockey at the time and carried the flag well," former Stars teammate and current GM Joe Nieuwendyk told NHL.com. "He did a lot for hockey in this state. With the success of our team in the late '90s and the ownership take
over and the building of StarCenters around town, it really got hockey going in our city and Mike was the face of that."
Being a native of Livonia, Michigan, Modano is termed to be one of the, if not the greatest American born player of all time and definitely had a colourful career during his time in the NHL.
The now 42-year-old, was drafted as the first overall during round-one of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the former, Minnesota North Stars, and played a number of seasons with them before making his career changing transition to the Dallas Stars during the
1993-1994 regular season.
Modano ended his career with the Detroit Red Wings following the 2010-2011 regular season as a number of injuries barred him from giving it his all and finally forced him to leave while he is still healthy after potting his last 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists)
in 40 games played.
"I think there's more pride in that than anything in coming down here to help transition a team and a city and a state that didn't know much about hockey and now has the most professional hockey teams of any state in the country," Modano added.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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