5 – Brett Hull – I was on the fence at making Hull number five as a majority of his dominance came as a member of the Blues (he ranked #2 in TSR!’s Top 5 Blues), and originally had Brenden Morrow penciled in here (who is the third all-time leading scorer in Dallas Stars history), but Hull is well deserving. Sure in his three seasons as a member of the Stars he racked up 95 goals and 196 points (which isn’t great compared to his years in St. Louis), but he’ll always be remembered for what he did in the 1999 Stanley Cup. In Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres, Hull scored a goal in the third overtime, giving the Stars a 2-1 victory. More importantly it gave Dallas their first ever Stanley Cup.
4 – Gordie Howe – When the Aeros signed Howe in 1973 it appeared to be nothing but a ploy for Houston to sell tickets or an opportunity to play for Gordie with his sons Mark and Marty. He was 45 years old and removed from professional hockey for two seasons (he retired from the Red Wings two seasons prior in 1971). Well Howe proved in his mid-40’s there was still plenty of gas left in the tank posting two seasons with over 100 points and one with 99, earning him two All-Star appearances. His 369 points are second all-time for the Aeros.
3 – Larry Lund – Lund had a name better suited for a character on The Simpsons than a professional hockey player (I could imagine him working alongside Lionel Hutz), but he indeed donned the skates. Lund signed with the Aeros as a 32-year-old rookie and for six seasons was a star in Houston, with his best season coming in 1974-75 where he racked up 108 points. While he never made an All-Star team, he was a big reason for Houston’s two AVCO Cups. His career 426 points put him tops in Aeros history and 12th all-time in the WHA.
2 – Ed Belfour – “Eddie the Eagle” was a stud with the Chicago Blackhawks and Stars fans were ecstatic when he signed in Dallas. In five seasons with Dallas he tallied 160 wins and 27 shutouts. He posted two seasons with a GAA under 2.00, and four seasons with a save percentage over 90%. Although his career in Dallas was short-lived, he will go down in history as the best goalie in Stars history and the main reason why they won the Stanley Cup in 1999.
1 – Mike Modano – Modano is the greatest American hockey player in NHL history. I remember growing up the best Americans were Joe Mullen, Phil Housley, and Pat LaFontaine. None of these players hold a candle to Modano. His 1374 points are #1 all-time for an American-born player (in which 1050 came in Dallas), and was one of the most fear players of his era. Although he never had a 100 point season the seven-time All-Star was regularly among the league’s scoring leaders. He also had an amazing mullet. This might not sound like a big deal to you but in the hockey community the better the mullet, the more respect you gain among your peers.
Texas, who is you’re all-time great? Let your voice be heard. Email me at jay@thesportsriot.net and tell me your thoughts. You can also follow us on Twitter where you’ll get all updates of the happenings at TSR! It could be some knowledge, it could be pure stupidity. Regardless it’ well worth it.
