Dallas Stars

Minnesota North Stars

When in 1967, the NHL leadership decided to expand the league to 12 teams, they could not ignore Minnesota - the state that gave and continues to give the greatest number of American hockey players.

The new Minnesota North Stars team played its first match on October 21, 1967 against California Syls and won 3-1. The game took place at the Met Center stadium in the town of Bloomington , located 20 kilometers from the center of Minneapolis . For 26 years, Met Center has been home to Nordic Stars.

Despite the fact that in the first season, the team took only fourth place in the Western Division , North Stars reached the Stanley Cup semi- final , losing to St. Louis there in seven games. The following season, Minnesota did not get into the playoffs , but from 1970 to 1973 the young team showed good results. "North Stars" constantly played in the playoffs, and Bill Goldsworthy stood out in their lineup.

From season 73/74 to season 78/79 , North Stars were among the league's outsiders and only once were in the playoffs. Hope for a bright future appeared after 1979 , when the team swallowed the collapsed club “ Cleveland Barons ”, having signed 8 hockey players from this team at once. That same year, the promising newcomer Bobby Smith joined the club, scoring 74 points in his first season (30 + 44).

In 1981, “Minnesota” for the first time in its history reached the Stanley Cup final, but was fairly easily replayed in five games going back to the glory of the New York Islanders .

After this success, the North Stars, whose leaders were Neil Braten , Dino Cissarelli , Bobby Smith , and then Brian Bellows , played well in the regular championships, but in the Stanley Cup were eliminated in the early stages, losing to either Chicago or St. To Louis .

In the late 80s, “Minnesota” again slipped into the basement of the NHL table, but this allowed her to choose in the 1988 draft for the first Mike Modano number.

The beginning of the season 90/91 did not foreshadow big changes - at the beginning of the regular season, North Stars scored only one victory in the first 9 games and, although they ended up in the playoffs, they finished with just 68 points in 80 matches. In the playoffs, the team led by Modano, Bellows, Broten, Smith and phenomenally playing goalkeeper John Casey beat alternately Chicago and St. Louis, then knocked out the current Stanley Cup winner Edmonton Oilers , and only in the final lost to six Pittsburgh Games, led by Mario Lemieux .

Moving to Texas

In 1990, the team was bought by Norman Green. After 1992, the new owner began to complain about the big financial losses. The plan to move to the center of Minneapolis failed, and before the 93/94 season, the club moved to Dallas , at the same time changing the name from North Stars to just Stars.

In the first year, the team showed an excellent result, finishing with 97 points in the regular season, but lost in the playoffs in the semifinals of the Vancouver conference. The following season, the Dallas game began to decline, and the 95/96 season ended in failure - only 66 points in 82 matches.

The end of the 90s: building a champion team

The team began the transformation. The senior coach and general manager of Starz, Bob Gayney, decided to retain only organizational duties, and Ken Hitchcock was invited to the post of coach. Through exchanges (the most successful was the exchange of Sergei Zubov ), "Dallas" has increased significantly. A year later, Starz signed several free agents, including goalkeeper Ed Belfort . In the 97/98 season, the Stars finished first in the NHL regular season, but lost in the playoffs in the Detroit conference finals.

Before the 98/99 season, the Stars signed a contract with Brett Hull and, as it turned out, he was the last part to create the champion team. "Dallas" was again the best in the regular season, and in the playoffs, beating " St. Louis ", " Colorado " and in the final " Buffalo ", won their first Stanley Cup . The sixth match of the final was decisive, in the third overtime of which Brett Hull scored the winning goal against Dominic Hasek . Hull finished off the puck, while being on the goalkeeper's platform, but the Sabers were late in protest, and the Stanley Cup was already awarded to the captain of the Dallas ^[2] . Starrs' forward Joe Nuindaik was voted best playoff player.

In the 99/2000 season, the Stars were close to repeating their success, but lost in the New Jersey Devils final in six games. In the 2001/02 season , the team unexpectedly for all failed the regular season, not getting into the playoffs. Ken Hitchcock was dismissed from his post, Bob Geini left himself, and in “Dallas” it was time for a change. Having hired Dave Tippet as a senior coach and acquiring several strong hockey players who had the status of free agents , Starz took second place in the regular season 2002/03 season , but in the Stanley Cup they failed to go further than the second stage, stumbling on Anaheim .

2000s: Timelessness

Over time, things got worse. Veterans grew old and left, and those who came to their place were unable to maintain a high level. So, the experienced stars Pierre Tarjeon and Bill Guerin could not help the team to reach the previous level. In 2002, the team unexpectedly failed to reach the playoffs. In 2004 and 2006, they were stopped by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, and in 2007 by the Vancouver Canucks . A temporary surge followed when young stars James Neil , Louis Ericsson , Jamie Benn unexpectedly fired. A very successful trade followed, as a result of which the team was joined by Conn Smyth Trophy holder Brad Richards , but all this led only to the 2008 Championship Championship final.

One of the reasons for the failures was a failed policy during drafts. For example, in 2002, general manager Dag Armstrong traded a high number 13 for the right to choose one round of the draft for three more recent choices. As a result, “Washington” received on the draft of Alexander Semin , and of the 12 hockey players selected by “Dallas”, the career in the NHL was wondered only by Trevor Daly.

Armstrong replaced the tandem from Brett Hull and Les Jackson, and in 2009 the team's general manager was the former leader, Conn Smythe 1999, player of the championship, Joe Nuindyk . However, he failed to correct the situation. The coaches were replaced (Mark Crawford, Glen Gulutsen), the players and the team management policy followed, but there was no result. In 2013, the team established its own anti-record, not hitting the playoffs for the fifth time in a row. Nuindayk himself left a memory of himself as an extremely weak-willed manager, in which the team had a complete lack of discipline and motivation. At the same time, the team as a result of unsuccessful trades or unsuccessful personnel policy was actively abandoned by the leaders: James Neil, Brad Richards, Mike Modano , and later Jaromir Jagr .

In the 2012/13 season, a symbolic team of all times was selected on the team’s website. Voting went on throughout the season and ended by April 2013, when the final list of the symbolic team was announced. Team members were announced during the final home games of the team ^[3] . The team included: Ed Belfort , Marty Turco , Sergey Zubov , Darryl Sidor , Derian Hatcher , Richard Matvichuk, Stefan Robida, Craig Ludwig, Mike Modano , Bret Hull , Jere Lehtinen , Joe Nuindyk , Brenden Morrow , Jamie Langenbrünn , Jén Lüngrinn, Jérée Lünginen, Joe Nuindyke , Brenden Morrow , Jamie Langenbrünner , Jéré Neutenen Louis Erickson , Bill Guerin , Stu Barnes, Guy Carbonneau and Steve Ott.

Jim Neill's Era (2013 - present)

April 29, 2013 after the 2012/13 season, Joe Nuindyk was fired from his post as general manager of the club. His place was taken by Jim Neill, who worked for 19 years in the Detroit Red Wings system. ^[4] At first, Neill announced that he was planning to carefully analyze the work of head coach Glen Gulutsen, but he was dismissed only 10 days later ^[5] . Along with Gulutsen, the team was left by his assistant, Paul Gerrard. In the asset Guluzena remained 130 matches in two seasons, in which the team scored only 64 victories. Dallas under the leadership of Gulutzen both times did not get into the playoffs.

Neal's next step was to update the team’s colors and logo. The process was launched a year earlier, as a result of “Dallas” changed the color scheme, and also presented to the public a new logo, which caused controversial reactions of fans ^[6] .

June 21 was appointed a new head coach. The seventh head coach in the history of the team was the former mentor of “ Buffalo Sabers ” Lindy Ruff , who spent 16 seasons with the Bison. ^[7] Ironically, it was Raff who led the Buffalo in the 1999 finals, when the Stars won their only ever Stanley Cup. At a press conference dedicated to his appointment, Raff was asked about the “phantom goal” of Brett Hull , but Raff chose a tactful form of response.

The first player chosen by the “new” “Dallas” in the 2013 NHL draft (at number 10) was Russian hockey player Valery Nichushkin ^[8] . A week before the draft, Dallas signed a contract with defender Sergei Gonchar , who was taken, as it were, as an “uncle tutor” for Nichushkin. The next step in the revival of the franchise was the trade that sent the long-term team leader Lou Eriksson to the Boston Bruins . For him (as well as Riley Smith, Joe Morrow, and Matt Fraser), Dallas received 21-year-old center forward Tyler Seguin , selected in the 2010 draft version number 2. Also, Rich Peverley and defender Ryan Button went to Dallas. The result was not long in coming. In the very first season of Neal's work, the team quite easily reached the playoffs, where in 6 games they lost to Anaheim Dax . It is worth adding that in the same season, Jamie Benn became the first Starz player to hit the symbolic NHL season ^[9] , and Tyler Seguin, with 84 scoring points, took 4th place in the scorer race ^[10] .

Before the next season, Neil strengthened the central axis of the team, signing another ex-second pick on the draft. This time, Jason Spezza was bartered from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the young Alex Chaisson, Alex Gaptill and Nicholas Paul ^[11] . In the free agent market, Neil signed Alesha Gemski ^[12] , who last season, in conjunction with Spezzi, spent a very strong segment. After a disastrous start to the season, the defense was cleared: Sergey Gonchar was sent to Montreal in exchange for Travis Moen , Kevin Connaughton went to Columbus through the draft refusal, and Brenden Dillon was traded to San Jose to Jason Demers . Also from Texas , a young Swedish defender John Klingberg was summoned, who quickly became one of the team’s main defenders. As a result of the actions, almost 5 million "under" the salary cap were released.

Current Composition