Minnesota North Stars

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars logo
founding February 9, 1966
history Minnesota North Stars
1967 - 1993
Dallas Stars
since 1993
Stadion Met Center
Location Minneapolis , Minnesota
Team colors Green, gold, white, black
Stanley Cups no
Conference title 1980/81 , 1990/91
Division title 1981/82 , 1983/84

The Minnesota North Stars ( IPA : [mɪnɨˈsoʊtə noːɻθ stɑɹs] ) are a former ice hockey team that was active in the NHL from 1967 to 1993 . In 1993 the team moved to Dallas , Texas and called themselves Dallas Stars from then on .

history

The first North Stars logo used until 1975

In 1967 the NHL was expanded. So far, the league consisted of the Original Six and now six more teams have joined the top division in North American ice hockey. Minnesota was particularly enthusiastic about ice hockey, so a franchise was established without any problems . The team played its games in Bloomington . The North Stars had an experienced management team that was able to build a powerful team with successful players like goalkeeper Lorne Worsley , defender and captain Ted Harris and strikers like Bill Goldsworthy , Danny Grant and Dennis Hextall .

The first season was overshadowed by tragedy. In a game in January 1968 against the Oakland Seals , Bill Masterton was brought down by an opponent and hit the back of his head on the ice. Bill Masterton died two days later. To date, he is the only player in NHL history to die from an injury resulting from the game. In his honor, the Professional Hockey Writers Association created the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy , which has been awarded annually since 1968 to the player who excelled in and around ice hockey through perseverance, dedication and fairness. Bill Masterton's number 19 was no longer assigned by the team and was officially banned in 1987.

In the mid-1970s, Worsley and Harris resigned and times were tough for the North Stars. The teams did not perform well and the playoffs were missed several times . In 1978 the team was bought by the owner of the NHL team Cleveland Barons , who merged the two teams under the name of the Minnesota North Stars. As a result, some good players like Al MacAdam and goalkeeper Gilles Meloche , but also Dennis Maruk , who was given up soon after, joined the team. In addition, Bobby Smith was drafted , a talented young man who developed into a top scorer. One or the other player was brought into the team and from 1979 onwards, the North Stars achieved positive victory statistics for five seasons in a row. The highlight was the entry into the Stanley Cup final in 1981 against the New York Islanders .

But from 1984 the positive times were over again and one managed only one positive victory statistic before the move to Dallas. In 1988 they had the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft , drew Mike Modano , who grew to become one of the top players in the franchise.

In the early 1990s, the team's owners expressed the desire to relocate the team to San Francisco as fewer and fewer spectators came to the games. However, moving to California was not in the interest of the league and so the topic was off the table for the time being. But a solution was found during the 1990/91 season . The 1978 merger between the Cleveland Barons and the North Stars was dissolved and the owners of the Barons opened a franchise in California as the San Jose Sharks . The Canadian Norman Green became the new owner of the North Stars . The North Stars players were split between the two teams in the 1991 NHL Dispersal Draft , and new players replenished the roster.

In the summer of 1991, the North Stars made it to the Stanley Cup final, despite a rather poor regular season. They fought the Pittsburgh Penguins , had even won two of the first three games, but after an 8-0 defeat in the sixth game they had to bury their dream of winning the title. It was the most one-sided game to decide the Stanley Cup winner since 23-2 in the 1905 Stanley Cup Final between the Ottawa Silver Seven and the Dawson City Nuggets .

The moody behavior and legal problems of owner Norman Green seemed to be affecting the fan base and the audience numbers continued to decline. His shopping mall empire was about to go bankrupt and he was on trial for sexual harassment. He demanded concessions for his team that neither the region nor the state of Minnesota granted him. As a result, the franchise moved to Dallas in the fall of 1993.

Arrived in Dallas

Shortly after arriving in Dallas, the team was sold to Tom Hicks . When the Dallas Stars won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, their official video "Nothing Else Matters" not only showed pictures of the Dallas Stars, but also paid tribute to the 1991 finals. With Mike Modano, Derian Hatcher , Richard Matvichuk and Bob Gainey , four players from back then were still in the ranks of the stars.

The NHL returns to Minnesota

In 1990 the NHL was against the North Stars disappearing from Minnesota because they really wanted a team in the region. But in 1993 there was nothing they could do about the fact that the North Stars moved to Dallas. In the summer of 2000, the NHL expanded and a new franchise opened in Minnesota. This time in Saint Paul . The Minnesota Wild have so far qualified for the playoffs three times: The first time in 2003 they made it to the final of the Western Conference, where they lost to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim . In 2007 they made it to the quarterfinals, but lost there again to the Anaheim Ducks , in 2008 they made it back to the quarterfinals but lost to Colorado Avalanche .

Season statistics

Abbreviations: GP = games, W = wins, L = defeats, T = draws, Pts = points, GF = goals scored, GA = goals conceded, PIM = penalty minutes

season GP W. L. T Pts GF GA PIM space Playoffs
1967/68 74 27 35 15th 69 191 226 738 4th, west Victory in the quarterfinals, 4-3 ( Los Angeles ),
defeat in the semifinals, 3-4-3 ( St. Louis )
1968/69 76 18th 43 15th 51 189 270 862 6th, west not qualified
1969/70 76 19th 35 22nd 60 224 257 1.008 3rd, west Quarter-finals defeat, 2-4 ( St. Louis )
1970/71 78 28 34 16 72 191 223 898 4th, west Victory in the quarter-finals, 4-2 ( St. Louis ),
defeat in the semi-finals, 2-4 ( Montréal )
1971/72 78 37 29 12 86 212 191 853 2nd, west Quarter-finals defeat, 3-4 ( St. Louis )
1972/73 78 37 30th 11 85 254 230 881 3rd, west Quarter-finals defeat, 2-4 ( Philadelphia )
1973/74 78 23 38 17th 63 235 275 821 7th, west not qualified
1974/75 80 23 50 7th 53 221 341 1.106 4th, Smythe not qualified
1975/76 80 20th 53 7th 47 195 303 1,191 4th, Smythe not qualified
1976/77 80 23 39 18th 64 240 310 774 2nd, Smythe Defeat in the preliminary round, 0-2 ( Buffalo )
1977/78 80 18th 53 9 45 218 325 1,096 5th, Smythe not qualified
1978/79 80 28 40 12 68 257 289 1.102 4th, Adams not qualified
1979/80 80 36 28 16 88 311 253 1,064 3rd, Adams Victory in the preliminary round, 3-0 ( Toronto )
win in the quarter-finals, 4-3 ( Montréal )
defeat in the semi-finals, 1-4 ( Philadelphia )
1980/81 80 35 28 17th 87 291 263 1,624 3rd, Adams Victory in the preliminary round, 3-0 ( Boston )
win in the quarter-finals, 4-1 ( Buffalo )
win in the semifinals, 4-2 ( Calgary )
defeat in the Stanley Cup final, 1-4 ( New York )
1981/82 80 37 23 20th 94 346 288 1,358 1st, Norris Loss in division semi-finals, 1-3 ( Chicago )
1982/83 80 40 24 16 96 321 290 1,520 2nd, Norris Victory in the division semi-finals, 3: 1 ( Toronto )
Defeat in the division final, 1: 4 ( Chicago )
1983/84 80 39 31 10 88 345 344 1,696 1st, Norris Victory in the division semi-finals, 3-2 ( Chicago )
win the division final, 4-3 ( St. Louis )
loss in the conference final, 0-4 ( Edmonton )
1984/85 80 25th 43 12 62 268 321 1,735 4th, Norris Victory in the division semi-finals, 3-0 ( St. Louis )
defeat in the division final, 2: 4 ( Chicago )
1985/86 80 38 33 9 85 327 305 1,672 2nd, Norris Divisional semi-final defeat, 2-3 ( St. Louis )
1986/87 80 30th 40 10 70 296 314 1.936 5th, Norris not qualified
1987/88 80 19th 48 13 51 242 349 2,313 5th, Norris not qualified
1988/89 80 27 37 16 70 258 278 1,972 3rd, Norris Division semi-finals lost, 4-1 ( St. Louis )
1989/90 80 36 40 4th 76 284 291 2,041 4th, Norris Loss in the division semi-finals, 3-4 ( Chicago )
1990/91 80 27 39 14th 68 256 266 1,964 4th, Norris Victory in the division semi-finals, 4: 2 ( Chicago )
victory in the division final, 4: 2 ( St. Louis )
victory in the conference final, 4: 1 ( Edmonton )
defeat in the Stanley Cup final, 2: 4 ( Pittsburgh )
1991/92 80 32 42 6th 70 246 278 2,169 4th, Norris Division semi-final defeat, 3-4 ( Detroit )
1992/93 84 36 38 10 82 272 293 1,885 5th, Norris not qualified
total 2,062 758 970 334 1,850 6,690 7,373 36,279 17 playoff appearances,
31 series: 14 wins, 17 losses,
159 games: 77 wins, 82 losses

Trainer

Period Trainer
1967/68 - 1968/69 Wren Blair
1968/69 John Muckler
1969/70 Wren Blair
1969/70 Charlie Burns
1970/71 - 1973/74 Jack Gordon
1973/74 Parker MacDonald
1974/75 Jack Gordon
Period Trainer
1974/75 Charlie Burns
1975/76 - 1977/78 Ted Harris
1977/78 André Beaulieu
1977/78 Lou Nanne
1978/79 Harry Howell
1978/79 - 1982/83 Glen Sonmor
1982/83 Murray Oliver
Period Trainer
1983/84 - 1984/85 Bill Mahoney
1985/86 - 1986/87 Lorne Henning
1986/87 Glen Sonmor
1987/88 Herb Brooks
1988/89 - 1989/90 Pierre Pagé
1990/91 - 1992/93 Bob Gainey

General manager

Period General manager
1967/68 - 1973/74 Wren Blair
1974/75 - 1976/77 Jack Gordon
1977/78 - 1987/88 Lou Nanne
Period General manager
1988/89 - 1989/90 Jack Ferreira
1990/91 - 1991/92 Bobby Clarke
1992/93 - 1992/93 Bob Gainey

Players to be mentioned

Team captains

Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Blocked jersey numbers

After moving to Dallas, number 7 was also blocked by Neal Broten , who had played for Minnesota for a long time.

Top 10 voting rights in the NHL Entry Draft

Web links

Commons : Minnesota North Stars  - collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Stefan Held: America is not paradise . In: Kicker sports magazine . March 18, 1982, ISSN  0023-1290 , p. 23 .