Coming full circle: How Mike Modano left a lasting impact on Stars’ veteran leaders

It’s awfully rare to find a person that is virtually synonymous with a group, movement or title.

Sure, there are plenty of icons and well-known figures who leave a mark that can stand the test of time. But if you took a poll on the greatest actor of all-time, you’re bound to get a wide array of answers. Same goes for musician or band. And you’re just asking for a debate if you ask about the top MLB, NBA, NHL or NFL player of all-time.

But as you quarrel about the proverbial GOAT in any specific vein, it becomes clear that a true “one of one” can be nearly impossible to find.

That is, of course, until you get around to the greatest Dallas Star or American-born player of all-time. In both cases, Mike Modano is almost always the unanimous choice.

That’s a testament to the mark left by No. 9 on not only a franchise, but an entire country. In a career that spanned 1,499 NHL games (1,454 of which he played with the Stars organization), 561 goals and 1,374 points, it was always clear that Modano was an American elite and Mr. Dallas Star.

It’s a legacy worthy of a statue. And on Saturday afternoon, that statue will be unveiled at 4 p.m. on PNC Plaza outside of American Airlines Center.

It will be the finishing touch on a decade-long celebration that has included his famed No. 9 being retired into the rafters at AAC as well as being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

It will also encapsulate a legacy that left a lasting impact on so many, including a number of current Stars veterans in Ryan Suter, Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn.

Suter, who was born in 1985 in Madison, Wisconsin, was almost five years old when Modano made his NHL regular season debut with the North Stars. Suter’s uncle, Gary, played with Mike on the 1996 World Cup team as well as on the 1998 Olympics team in Nagano.

And shortly after becoming a fellow top-10 pick in the NHL Draft, Suter got a chance to play on the 2005 World Cup team with the U.S. legend.

“When you’re a kid, you watch these guys,” Suter said. “To get to play with and against them is pretty surreal.”

Suter also played against Modano as a young defenseman with the Nashville Predators. And although Mo was nearing the end of his career, the challenges he posed were numerous.

March 17, 2007 came to Suter’s mind. The Stars were visiting Nashville and Modano was sitting on 501 career goals, one short of tying Joe Mullen for the American record.

“Before the game, our coach came in and said, ‘Hey, if he gets it, they want to take our net. We’re not letting him take the net.’ Sure enough, I think he scored two, so he took the net,” Suter said with a laugh. “Hearing all those stories and being a part of them is amazing. You can’t say enough about him as a player.”

Fast forward to 2024 and Suter is now finishing the script of his own NHL career. His 1,428 games played rank fifth among U.S.-born players, and his 34,881:41 career time on ice is first overall since the NHL began tracking the statistic in 2005-06. And what has he learned through it all?

“I think you learn that these kids that are young now are looking up to us just like we looked up to them,” Suter said. “That’s probably the biggest thing. You always have to be on, be a good role model, and a good person."

Of course, Suter isn’t the only U.S-born vet on the Stars. Pavelski, also known as Captain America, has his own special ties to Modano.

“Growing up in hockey and watching him with the North Stars before the move happened, he was one of the guys,” Pavelski said. “As a kid, you don’t know all of the things you know once you get into the League, but you know his shot, his speed, the jersey flapping. To be able to play against him in the NHL, in a playoff series and in some big moments, you saw the same things right to the end. It was pretty special.”

Pavelski, who was born in Plover, Wisconsin in 1984, witnessed Modano’s quick rise to fame. He was a 7^th round pick in the 2003 NHL Draft and eventually secured a spot on the San Jose Sharks roster in 2006.

In his second season, the Stars visited San Jose on November 7, 2007. And much like Suter’s story, Modano was sitting on another milestone’s doorstep. One point separated him from the U.S. scoring record, held by Phil Housley. Just 2:19 into that game, Modano blasted a puck home to tie the mark.

“I think the one real moment that sticks out is I remember here in San Jose, he came down the wing, let a slapper go and scored,” Pavelski said. “That still sticks with me.”

125 seconds later, Mo found himself in open space while shorthanded and scored again to claim the record as Pavelski watched from the other end of the ice.

But for no. 16, who is revered by teammates and many others around the NHL, Modano the person may be even more impactful than Modano the player.

“The number one thing when you meet these guys is just how humble and how good of people they are,” Pavelski said. “That trait shows up in all of these guys. It’s no different with Mo. It’s a great reminder that we’re given so much, there is so much help along the way and all the people that helped us out. It’s great to be a good person to be around, enjoy people’s company, and enjoy your time at the rink.”

Pavelski has built a friendship over the years with Modano that has included laughing, learning and plenty of golf.

“I’ve gotten to know him on a personal level and he’s just a great human and friend,” Pavelski said. “For everything you hear, he’s a great teammate. He won, he did it all and he was one of the guys in U.S. hockey.”

A great human that became larger-than-life to a city that latched onto him as it embraced a new sport back in 1993. Pavelski, who has played in San Jose and Dallas (two non-traditional hockey markets), knows all about the kind of stamp that caliber of player can leave on a franchise and a city.

“You see it also with Jumbo [Joe Thornton] and Patty [Patrick Marleau],” he said. “You want to play for your team and for the people. You always try to make it more than it is, and that’s how you play some of your best hockey. You try to connect and do it the right way. In Dallas with Mo, that’s what you see. You see such a great connection between the fan base and him. It’s special to be a part of it.”

And for Joe, it’s been a special ride. As he broke into the NHL, Modano was putting the finishing touches on the greatest career by an American in NHL history. Pavelski now finds himself in the same air as Modano 18 seasons later. He’s fifth in goals (472), seventh in points (1,056) and third in power play goals (175) among Americans.

“You don’t take anything for granted and you never know how it’s going to work out, especially early on,” Pavelski said. “You’re trying to prove yourself each and every year, and that really doesn’t change towards the end. You’re trying to hold yourself to high standards, compete, practice hard and do all the things that make you successful. You want to push right to the end.”

And while Modano left a sizable impact on USA Hockey, he also played a noteworthy role in the rookie campaign of a fellow homegrown draft pick of the organization.

Benn was a 5^th round pick by Dallas in the 2007 NHL Draft. He earned a spot on the Stars’ roster in 2009-10. It just so happened to be Modano’s final season in Dallas, and the crossing of those two paths proved incredibly beneficial.

“I got to learn from that guy every day,” Benn said of Modano. “He was Dallas Stars hockey and the face of the franchise. He grew hockey in Texas in the ‘90’s. He was the pretty boy and the perfect face for it. It was an honor to play with him for a year. Obviously, a hockey legend, a Hall of Famer and one of the best Americans to play to the game, if not the best.”

When Benn made his NHL debut, he was just 20 years old and trying to make a name for himself. Modano, on the other hand, was 39 and at the tail end of an illustrious career. But that didn’t stop the veteran from making an impact on the young gun. Fast forward 14 years and the two are still good friends.

“We have a good relationship,” Benn said. “I was just a young kid back in the day, but he treated me with respect and I did the same. Every time he’s around, we have a good chat and catch up. He’s a busy guy now. When I played with him, no kids and now he’s got five.”

In Modano’s final home game with the Stars, he picked up an assist on Benn’s opening goal. And when the storybook hit full stride and Modano notched the tying goal to force OT and the eventual shootout (where he would score again), Benn logged an assist. Since that game, the two have been forever intertwined.

The duo was chosen to model the Stars’ new logo and jerseys back in 2013. When the NHL Draft came to Dallas in 2018, the duo took the stage to announce the team’s first round pick (Ty Dellandrea at 13^th overall).

Benn is now in his 15^th NHL season. He’s been the captain for 11 of them, a franchise record. He also sits second in the franchise all-time ranks for games (1,096), goals (373), points (889) and game-winning goals (55). The only guy ahead of him? Well, you know where this is going.

“It’s pretty cool. I think his records are pretty safe within this organization,” Benn said with a grin. “When my career is over, I’ll probably look back and appreciate it even more. But as of now, I’m just staying in the moment.”

Staying in the moment seems apropos for the Stars captain. After all, Dallas currently sits fourth in the NHL standings and just three points outside the top spot. They arguably have the deepest team in the NHL and have their sights set on a run at the Stanley Cup.

It would be the team’s first championship since 1999, when Modano helped lead the Stars to hockey history and put the beautiful game on the map for an entire city and state.

And on Saturday afternoon, the fan base will get another chance to thank him for all he’s done for hockey: Dallas hockey, Texas hockey, and USA hockey.

“It’s made giant leaps since my first year,” Benn said of hockey in the Lone Star State. “That all goes to being a part of Mike. He did so much for the city of Dallas and hockey here. It’s always good to see him and I think it’s great that the Stars are finally giving him the statue he deserves.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.