To a hockey player, there is no bigger
thrill than winning the Stanley Cup. It
has been the sport?s "Holy Grail"
for 108 years. But add to that, a March
16, 2000 visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
the White House, and you?ve got a double-barreled
thrill of a lifetime worthy of a team
from Texas, the Dallas Stars.
That there was a nine-month gap between
winning the Cup and visiting with President
Clinton (the visit was originally scheduled
for last fall) was even viewed as a bonus
for some.
"It's good to spread it out like
this," said Stars center Mike Modano.
"Being champions for a year, that's
what it's all about."
Thirty-four years-old as a franchise
(they were originally the Minnesota North
Stars), the Stars are only in their seventh
season in the Lone Star State, arriving
for the 1993-94 season after 27 years
in Minnesota, where the Stars had enjoyed
a long, but less that glorious history.
There were early stars like goalies Gump
Worsley and Cesare Maniago, defenseman
Ted Harris and Barry Gibbs and forwards
Bill Goldsworthy, Danny Grant, Jude Drouin,
J.P. Parise and Dennis Hextall. For most
of their first decade of existence, the
North Stars would make the playoffs and
miss the playoffs; make the playoffs and
miss the playoffs. There was no real pattern
of success. Buy
Dallas Stars Tickets.
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