Editing Mike Modano (section)

===Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars (1988–2010)===
The North Stars signed Modano on Christmas of 1988, and he joined the team for the [[1989-90 NHL season|1989–90 season]]. He scored his first career NHL goal against [[Glenn Healy]] of the [[New York Islanders]], and had a good rookie season which landed him on the [[NHL All-Rookie team]] and made him a finalist for the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]].<ref name=lone/> He controversially lost to 31-year-old [[Sergei Makarov (ice hockey, born 1958)|Sergei Makarov]], who had already played professionally in the [[Soviet Championship League]] for over 12 years; this led to an age barrier of 26 for Calder candidates from the following year to the present.

Despite the good start, Modano was often criticized in Minnesota as an underachiever. This was evidenced by a sophomore season where the North Stars reached the [[Stanley Cup Finals]], but Modano's point production dropped, while confronting coach [[Bob Gainey]] for his overtly defensive style. In 1992, Modano signed a four-year extension that made him the highest-paid member of the team, receiving $2 million per year. He soon had his best season up to that point, scoring 93 points at the [[1992–93 NHL season]] and earning his first [[NHL All-Star Game]] invitation.<ref name=lone/>

====Stars move to Dallas====
Prior to the [[1993–94 NHL season]], the North Stars moved to [[Dallas]] to become the [[Dallas Stars]]. Considering the relocation to [[Texas]] as an opportunity for a fresh start, with different expectations from fans and the media, Modano decided to accept Gainey's suggestions to become a more complete player and perform more attacks. Modano recorded a personal-best 50 goals and again scored 93 points. Soon he became an idol in Dallas, becoming the player who sold the most jerseys and received the most letters. During the next two seasons, Modano lowered his goalscoring and had many injuries – a [[concussion]], a knee injury and ruptured ankle tendons – but improved his defensive play. Despite that, the Stars failed to qualify for the [[1996 Stanley Cup playoffs]], and Gainey stepped down as head coach, while remaining GM.<ref name=lone/>

[[Ken Hitchcock]] was hired on January 8, 1996, as Dallas' coach, installing a defensive-minded system while requesting Modano to concentrate on his offense and using him more routinely – instead of the 15–18 minutes he played under Gainey, Modano routinely played 25 minutes with Hitchcock. Helped by new acquisitions [[Joe Nieuwendyk]] and [[Sergei Zubov]], Modano led the Stars to the [[Central Division (NHL)|Central Division]] title in the [[1996–97 NHL season|1996–97 season]]. In the [[1998 Stanley Cup playoffs]], with new goaltender [[Ed Belfour]], the Stars reached the [[Western Conference (NHL)|Western Conference]] finals. However, they fell in six games at the hands of the eventual back-to-back [[Stanley Cup]] champions, the [[Detroit Red Wings]].<ref name=lone/>

In [[1999 Stanley Cup Finals|1999]], Modano won the Stanley Cup with the Stars, playing all six games of the finals against the [[Buffalo Sabres]] despite breaking his wrist in the second game.<ref name=lone/> Modano assisted on the Stars' final five goals of the series, including both in Game 5 and Game 6, and final goal. He led the Stars with 23 points in the playoffs, with all seven in the finals on assists.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Stars win Stanley Cup! |publisher=Sportsillustrated.cnn.com |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/1999/playoffs/news/1999/06/19/stanleycup_final/index.html |access-date=May 15, 2024 |date=June 20, 1999 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010124024100/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/1999/playoffs/news/1999/06/19/stanleycup_final/index.html |archivedate=January 24, 2001}}</ref> The Stars returned to the finals in [[2000 Stanley Cup Finals|2000]] against the [[New Jersey Devils]]. Modano scored the overtime goal that gave the Stars a victory in game 5,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mo' to come |publisher=Sportsillustrated.cnn.com |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/2000/playoffs/news/2000/06/08/stars_devils_game5_slam/ |date=July 27, 2000| access-date=May 15, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000829065913/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/2000/playoffs/news/2000/06/08/stars_devils_game5_slam/ |archivedate=August 29, 2000}}</ref> but in Game 6 in Dallas, the Devils wound up closing the series 4–2.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Devil of a Time |publisher=Sportsillustrated.cnn.com |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/cover/news/2000/07/27/devil_of_a_time/index.html |date=June 19, 2000 |access-date=May 15, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010127153500/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/cover/news/2000/07/27/devil_of_a_time/index.html |archivedate=January 27, 2001}}</ref>

Modano averaged 78 points per season from 1996 to 2002, and was also one of the NHL's top forwards in [[Plus-minus (ice hockey)|plus/minus]] over that span (his +43 in 1997 was second only to [[John LeClair]]'s +44 mark). Modano's career high for points in a game is six (2–4–6) against the [[Anaheim Ducks]], and he has seven career hat tricks. His only career fight was against [[Rod Brind'Amour]]. He was also a candidate for the [[Frank J. Selke Trophy]] (2001), and the [[Lady Byng Trophy]] (2003).

====2005–2010====
As the long-time face of the Dallas franchise, he has recorded over 1,000 NHL points and became the captain of the Stars in 2003. During the 2005 offseason, Modano contemplated signing with the [[Boston Bruins]], but he decided to stay with the Stars after owner [[Tom Hicks]] got involved. Modano would sign a five-year contract extension with Dallas on August 5, 2005. On September 29, 2006, [[Brenden Morrow]] replaced him as the Stars' [[captain (ice hockey)|captain]]; Modano served an alternate captain from that time until 2010, a role in which he had previously served from 1995 to 2003.

Modano scored his 500th career regular-season goal on March 13, 2007, with 10:24 left in the 3rd period in a regulation win against [[Antero Niittymäki]] of the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] with assists by [[Antti Miettinen]] and [[Jon Klemm]]. He is only the 14th goal scorer to score 500 goals with a single team and the 39th player to reach 500 goals overall.

[[File:Modano Record Goal.jpg|thumb|left|Modano's shorthanded, record breaking goal, November 7, 2007]]
On March 17, 2007, in an away game versus the [[Nashville Predators]], Modano scored his 502nd and 503rd career regular-season goals in a 3–2 loss, thus passing [[Joe Mullen]]'s NHL record (502) for most goals scored by an American-born player.

Modano also holds the NHL all-time record for most points scored by a U.S.-born player. He broke the record, which previously belonged to [[Phil Housley]], on November 7, 2007, by scoring two goals in the first five minutes, with the record-breaker being a short-handed goal on a breakaway, against the [[San Jose Sharks]]. That night, amongst his congratulatory phone calls was one from [[Air Force One]], U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] spoke to him for a few minutes about the record.

The Stars' game on November 21, 2007, was named "Mike Modano Tribute Night" at [[American Airlines Center]], where Modano was honored by the franchise for his achievements in U.S. hockey. Those who spoke in the [[pre-game ceremony]] included [[Brett Hull]], [[Joe Mullen]], [[Phil Housley]], and Stars owner [[Tom Hicks]]. Capping off an emotional night, Modano later went on to score the game-tying goal, as well as a shootout goal in a 3–2 Stars victory against the [[Anaheim Ducks]].

With his production declining from 2007 to 2010, Modano played out the duration of his contract, which expired after the 2009–10 season. In the final game of that season (coincidentally played in Minnesota, where Modano began his pro career), Modano was saluted with a video tribute and a standing ovation, and named the game's first star, skating around the ice wearing a [[Minnesota North Stars]] jersey.