Hockey and sports in general can be broken down into moments. Some moments are bigger than others and chart the course of a franchise and an entire league. These moments can define a team’s destiny for years to come. Last Word on Hockey’s Summer Series looks at these defining moments. Today, we feature the biggest defining moment of the Dallas Stars.
The Stars joined the NHL as part of the league’s 1967 expansion class. After playing in Minnesota, the Stars relocated to Dallas, with their first season in Dallas being the 1993-94 season.
Since moving to Texas, the Stars have been a successful franchise. The Stars have won nine division titles in Dallas, two Presidents’ Trophies as the top regular-season team in the league, and the Stanley Cup in 1999. In addition to the 1999 championship team, the Stars have reached the Stanley Cup Final on two other occasions.
Dallas Stars Defining Moment
The Controversial Crease
As soon as the Stars moved to Dallas, the organization began building a team that could contend for the Stanley Cup. Before the 1998-99 season, the Stars made a big splash in free agency, signing star forward (no pun intended) Brett Hull to a three-year contract. Behind Hull and returning players like Mike Modano and Ed Belfour, the Stars reached the Stanley Cup Final, where they would face the Buffalo Sabres.
The Run-Up
The series started in Dallas, but the Sabres stole home-advantage with an overtime victory in Game 1. The Stars won the next two games, regaining the home-ice advantage in the process. However, the Sabres would not be deterred, winning Game 4 to turn the series into a best-of-three. Back at home, Belfour stopped all 23 Buffalo shots to pick up the shutout and put the Stars a win away from the Stanley Cup.
Game 6 would go down in history for multiple reasons. For starters, it is the second-longest Stanley Cup Final game in NHL history. Furthermore, it is the longest Cup-clinching game in NHL history. How we got the Cup-winning goal, however, is what stands out in history, bringing joy to Dallas and pain to Buffalo.
The Foot in the Crease
In triple overtime, Jere Lehtinen‘s shot was stopped by Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek. Hull, who was not in the crease at the time of Lehtinen’s shot, grabbed the rebound, using his skate to slide the puck to his stick. At this time, Hull was just outside the crease. His skate did enter the crease right before he knocked in the rebound for the Cup-winning goal.
The Sabres protested the goal, believing Hull’s skate in the crease was a violation of the rules at the time. However, the goal stood. The Stars were Stanley Cup Champions.
The Aftermath
The NHL offered some clarification after the game, stating that the goal was reviewed and deemed a good goal, as Hull was allowed to have his foot in the crease as long as he had possession of the puck.
The Stars looked to defend their title in the 1999-00 season, where they returned to the Stanley Cup Final, facing the New Jersey Devils. The Stars would be on the other end of a Cup-winning goal in overtime, however, as Jason Arnott scored to win the Cup for New Jersey and deny the Stars a chance to repeat. The team would not return to the Stanley Cup Final again until 2020, when they lost in the unique bubble format due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
As of now, the magic of 1999 remains the only time the Stars franchise has hoisted the Stanley Cup. However, the moment still brings joy to Stars fans and is the defining moment in team history.
Other Defining Moments
Enter Tom Hicks
After moving to Dallas, the organization encountered financial difficulties, prompting businessman Tom Hicks to purchase the team. During Hicks’s first season in 1994-95, the Stars began building a team capable of contending for the Stanley Cup.
Hicks provided the financial backing necessary to sign and retain top players, allowing general manager Bob Gainey and later Bob Clarke to build the roster aggressively. Hull and Belfour added stability to the team’s offence and goaltending. In contrast, Joe Nieuwendyk and Sergei Zubov were added to bolster leadership and skill. Hicks also hired Ken Hitchcock as head coach in 1996. Hitchcock implemented a tight defensive system that turned the Stars into an elite two-way team. For Hitchcock, this would help pave the way for his eventual induction into the Hall of Fame. Furthermore, and most importantly, Hicks helped the Stars transition from simply being competitive to being expected contenders. The team culture emphasized playoff success, not just regular-season wins.
Under Hicks, the Stars reached the Stanley Cup Final twice, winning it once, and won multiple division titles. The Stars were not just a playoff contender; they were a Stanley Cup contender.
The 2017 NHL Draft
The Stars headed into the 2017 NHL Entry Draft coming off some fun seasons. The team has gotten within one game of the Western Conference Final in 2016. The year before, captain Jaime Benn won the Art Ross Trophy for the most points in the league following a hat trick and an assist in the final game of the regular season to jump to the top of the points list. However, the team was lacking the pieces needed to make them consistent contenders.
The 2017 NHL Draft helped the Stars build a contending team. Defenceman Miro Heiskanen, goaltender Jake Oettinger, and forward Jason Robertson were drafted by the Stars that year. All three have played key roles in the Stars being consistent Stanley Cup contenders.
Heiskanen has solidified the Stars blue line with elite skating, puck-moving ability, and shutdown defensive play. Furthermore, Heiskanen recorded 26 points in 27 playoff games during the Stars run to the Final in 2020. Oettinger has become the team’s franchise goaltender, helping the Stars reach the Western Conference Final the last three seasons. Last but not least, Robertson has become one of the league’s elite scorers, scoring 40+ goals twice.
Should this core help the Stars win another Stanley Cup, the 2017 draft will look even better.
Main Photo: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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