Minnesota North Stars
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey
team in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington
, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white. The North Stars played 2,062 regular season games and made the NHL playoffs seventeen times, including two Stanley Cup Finals
appearances. In the fall of 1993, the franchise moved to Dallas, Texas
, and is now known as the Dallas Stars
.
On March 11, 1965, NHL President Clarence Campbell
announced that the league would expand to twelve teams from six
through the creation of a new six-team division for the 1967–68 season. In response to Campbell's announcement, a partnership of nine men, led by Walter Bush, Jr.
and John Driscoll, was formed to seek a franchise for the Twin Cities area of Minnesota
. Their efforts were successful, as the NHL awarded one of its six expansion franchises to Minnesota on February 9, 1966. In addition to Minnesota, the five other franchises were awarded to California
(Oakland
), Los Angeles
, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis
. The "North Stars" name was announced on May 25, 1966, following a public contest. The name is derived from the state's motto "L'Étoile du Nord
", which is a French
phrase meaning "The Star of the North". Months after the naming of the team, ground was broken on October 3, 1966, for a new hockey arena in Bloomington, Minnesota. The home of the North Stars, the Metropolitan Sports Center, was built in 12 months at a cost of $
7 million. The arena was ready for play for the start of the 1967–68 NHL season, but portions of the arena's construction had not been completed. Spectator seats were in the process of being installed as fans arrived at the arena for the opening home game on October 21, 1967.
suffered a fatal hit during a game against the Seals at Met Center. Skating towards the Seals goal across the blue line, Masterton fell backwards, hitting the back of his head on the ice, rendering him unconscious. He never regained consciousness and died on January 15, 1968, at the age of 29, two days after the accident. Doctors described the cause of Masterton's death as a "massive brain injury". To this date, this remains the only death as a result of an injury during a game in NHL history. The North Stars retired his jersey, and later that year, hockey writers established the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
which would be given annually to a player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Following the news of Masterton's death, the North Stars lost the next six games.
The North Stars would achieve success in their first year of existence by finishing in fourth place in the West Division with a record of 27-32-15, and advancing to the playoffs. During the 1968 playoffs, the North Stars defeated the Los Angeles Kings
in seven games after losing the first two in the series. In the next round, the West finals, the North Stars faced the St. Louis Blues in a series which would also go to a seventh game. Minnesota was one game away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals
, but in the deciding game, they lost in double overtime.
The team was led in the early years by the goaltending duo Lorne "Gump" Worsley
and Cesare Maniago
. Defenseman Ted Harris was the North Stars' captain. The first Stars team also included high-scoring winger Bill Goldsworthy
and other quality players such as Barry Gibbs
, Jude Drouin
, J. P. Parise, Danny Grant
, Lou Nanne
, Tom Reid
and Dennis Hextall
.
The World Hockey Association
(WHA) began play in 1972 with a Minnesota franchise based in St. Paul. While a number of exhibition games were played between teams in the two leagues, the North Stars never played their cross-town rivals, the Minnesota Fighting Saints
. However, the competition for the hockey dollar between these two clubs was fierce. The Fighting Saints folded at mid-season on two occasions, and by 1978 the North Stars themselves were in financial difficulty.
Fan interest was in decline as the team had missed the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons, and the league feared that the franchise was on the verge of folding. However, in 1978, Gordon
and George Gund III, already owners of the troubled Cleveland Barons
franchise, bought the North Stars. They were permitted to merge the two teams in an unprecedented arrangement. The merged team would continue to be known as the Minnesota North Stars, but assume the Barons' place in the Adams Division
. The recently-retired Nanne was named general manager, and a number of the Barons players – notably goaltender
Gilles Meloche
and forwards Al MacAdam
and Mike Fidler
– bolstered the Minnesota lineup. Furthermore, Minnesota had drafted Bobby Smith, who would go on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the NHL's top rookie that year, and Steve Payne, who himself would go on to record 42 goals in his second campaign in 1979–80.
, who came to Bloomington sporting the NHL's (and major league sports') longest undefeated streak, a 35-game run which included 25 wins and 10 ties. An all-time record Met Center crowd of 15,962 squeezed into the arena, which was the largest crowd to ever witness a hockey game in Minnesota to that time, and would remain the highest total in all 26 seasons of the North Stars franchise. Minnesota ended the Flyers' streak with a 7-1 win, with two North Stars posting hat tricks.
With the addition of new players such as Minnesota native and ex-1980 Olympian
Neal Broten
and sniper Dino Ciccarelli
, the North Stars had five straight winning seasons starting in 1979–80, which included back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup semifinals, first against the Flyers in 1980 and then against the Calgary Flames
in 1981. By defeating the Flames in 1981, the North Stars reached their first Stanley Cup Final, only to lose in five games to the heavily favored New York Islanders
. Dino Ciccarelli
would score a franchise record 55 goals in just his second season in 1981–82, leading Minnesota to its first division title. The team, however, bowed out of the playoffs in the first round against the Chicago Black Hawks
.
In the summer of 1982, general manager Lou Nanne
orchestrated one of the franchise's biggest moves ever, landing a star in the making by drafting highly-coveted Brian Bellows
. It paid immediate dividends, as Bellows would score 35 goals in his rookie season of 1982–83 and help the team to finish with 40 wins and 96 regular season points – both the most ever recorded in the 26 years the franchise was based in Minnesota. Once again, though, the North Stars fell in the playoffs to the Black Hawks
, this time in the second round.
Beginning in 1983–84, the team was determined to erase the failures of the previous two campaigns and came close to doing so. This was a season of change for the North Stars and their fans, as Bill Mahoney
, a defensive-minded teacher of the game, took over as coach. Very early in the season, a major trade shook the organization, all of Minnesota, and the NHL. The popular Bobby Smith was shipped off to the Montreal Canadiens
for a pair of defense-minded forwards, Keith Acton
and Mark Napier. The team would go on to post the second-highest victory total in its history with 39, and win its second Norris Division
crown.
In the playoffs, the North Stars finally defeated their rival, the Chicago Black Hawks. Minnesota won the series 3 games to 2, then eliminated the St. Louis Blues
in seven games. Only one team remained between the North Stars' second Stanley Cup Final appearance in four seasons: Wayne Gretzky
's Edmonton Oilers
. It was a tough, high-scoring series, but Edmonton's star-studded lineup proved too much for the North Stars, and the Oilers swept Minnesota in four games en route to their first Stanley Cup
championship.
After 1984, the franchise would only have one more winning season in Minnesota. While the late 1980s saw the franchise draft what would turn out to be their greatest player – forward Mike Modano
– chronic attendance problems spurred the owners to threaten to move the club to the San Francisco Bay Area
, against the league's wishes.
, that would receive players via a dispersal draft with the North Stars. A group previously petitioning for an NHL team in the Bay Area, led by Howard Baldwin
and Morris Belzberg
, bought the North Stars as part of the deal. Baldwin and Belzberg purchased the team from the Gund brothers for approximately $38.1 million (including $1 million in liabilities as well as giving the Gunds their share of the fees from the next three expansion teams, expected to be $7.14 million). Norman Green, a last-minute newcomer to Baldwin and Belzberg's group, purchased 51% controlling interest in the North Stars from them, with Baldwin and Belzberg sharing the remaining 49% stake in the team. Green agreed to purchase Baldwin's 24.5% share, giving him more than 75% control of the team shortly after a dispute with Baldwin arose. Belzberg maintained his share of the rest of the team's stock until October 1990, when Green became the team's sole owner by buying Belzberg's shares.
In that 1991 season, despite a losing record in the regular season, the North Stars embarked on a Cinderella
run to the Stanley Cup Finals
. They knocked off the Chicago Blackhawks
and St. Louis Blues (the top two teams in the NHL during the regular season) in six games each and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers
in five games, making it to the finals for the second time in franchise history. The team fought hard against the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins
, led by Mario Lemieux
. They won two out of the first three contests before being obliterated 8-0 in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series. It was the most one-sided defeat in a deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals since the Ottawa Senators
defeated the Dawson City Nuggets
23-2 in 1905.
Following the 1991 Finals run, the North Stars adopted a new logo – the word "STARS" in italicized gold capitals over a green star with a gold outline. The team also adopted black as their primary color for their road uniforms, and eliminated gold from the uniform, except for the logo.
To celebrate the team's 25th anniversary, a commemorative patch was worn on the North Stars' uniforms, on the left shoulder. The patch depicted Bill Goldsworthy, wearing a green uniform, facing off against Mike Modano, wearing the new black uniform.
The North Stars would make the 1992 Playoffs
with their new look, and take a 3-2 series lead on the Norris Division
champion Detroit Red Wings
into Game 6 at the Met Center. The Red Wings won, 1-0, in overtime after a video review confirmed that Sergei Fedorov
had scored a goal, the first use of video replay in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wings would win the seventh game at home, 5-2.
article, owner Norman Green was much reviled in Minnesota following his decision to relocate the franchise. Several reasons were cited for the relocation, including poor attendance during a string of losing seasons, the failure to reach deals for a new arena in either Minneapolis or Saint Paul, and a sexual harassment lawsuit against Green that resulted in his wife threatening to leave him unless he moved the team. The article included a quote from North Stars booster club president Julie Hammond: "When [Norm Green] came here, he said, 'Only an idiot could lose money on hockey in Minnesota.' Well, I guess he proved that point."
On the other hand, the Dallas franchise has taken some steps to mend the emotional wounds left in Minnesota. When the Dallas Stars won the 1999 Stanley Cup (by this time, Norm Green no longer owned the team), their official video "Nothing Else Matters" not only included their past seasons' disappointments, but also paid tribute to the North Stars' 1991 run to the final, of which star Mike Modano
and general manager Bob Gainey
had been part.
Modano, who retired in 2011, was the last former North Star in the NHL, leaving the Stars franchise after the season. Only one other former North Star is an active professional as of 2011 – Mike Craig
, who plays in Austria
.
.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
Calder Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
, Dallas Stars
, California Golden Seals
and Cleveland Barons
captains.
:
These numbers remain retired with the Dallas Stars
today. In addition to Goldsworthy and Masterton, the Stars have retired the number 7 of Minnesota
native, University of Minnesota
graduate and 1980 Olympic hero Neal Broten
, C, 1981-93.
) carried North Stars games from 1967 to 1979. Usually, 27 road games and three home games were televised each season. Frank Buetel was the play-by-play announcer from 1967 to 1970. Hal Kelly took over for the next few years. followed by
Joe Boyle in the mid-1970s. Boyle was joined by color commentator Roger Buxton. After the station gained NBC
affiliation in 1979, telecasts moved to KMSP-TV
, with most called by Bob Kurtz
and retired North Stars defenseman Tom Reid
. (Incidentally, Kurtz and Reid are the Minnesota Wild's current radio announce team.) In the mid-1980s, KITN (now WFTC
) televised North Stars games with Frank Mazzocco on play-by-play with color commentator Wally Shaver. For a brief period during the late 1980s, North Stars games were telecast over Saint Cloud-based UHF station KXLI
(with Doug McLeod on play-by-play and former Islander goalie Glenn "Chico" Resch on color), but given the station's distant transmitter location near Big Lake, Minnesota
, reception in the Twin Cities ranged from mediocre to non-existent. Telecasts returned to KMSP by 1990, although few home games were televised—during the Stars' 1991 Stanley Cup Finals run, home games were available only on pay-per-view
and not available to most hockey fans in Minnesota. Dave Hodge
handled TV play-by-play in the 1990-91 season.
North Stars radio broadcasts originated from WCCO Radio from 1967 to 1978, then moved to another Twin Cities-based clear-channel station, KSTP, where radio broadcasts stayed until the team moved to Dallas in 1993, save a few seasons on a 5,000-watt radio station, WAYL
. Al Shaver was the play-by-play radio announcer throughout the Stars' stay in Minnesota. During the WCCO era, Shaver was joined for many home games by WCCO's Larry Jagoe in the early seasons, followed by WCCO personality Steve Cannon
. Shaver's partners on KSTP were Russ Small, Ted Robinson
, and (during the last three seasons) current Dallas Stars announcer Ralph Strangis
. During the Stars' final season (1992–93), Shaver and Strangis called games on KMSP, while the Stars' cable TV game announcer, Doug McLeod, called games over KSTP and the Stars' radio network.
Shaver is a ten-time Minnesota Sportscaster of the Year and, as the 1993 Foster Hewitt
Memorial Award
-winner, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
. Following the team's departure to Dallas, he called University of Minnesota
Golden Gophers hockey
games until his retirement in 1996.
It was on the night of the Stars' final game at Joe Louis Arena
versus the Detroit Red Wings
that Shaver first shared the broadcast booth with his son, Wally, who is the current Gopher hockey radio announcer. The elder Shaver's call of the closing moments of the last-ever North Stars game went thus:
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white. The North Stars played 2,062 regular season games and made the NHL playoffs seventeen times, including two Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
appearances. In the fall of 1993, the franchise moved to Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and is now known as the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
.
Beginnings
Clarence Campbell
Clarence Sutherland Campbell OBE, QC was the third president of the National Hockey League from 1946 to 1977.-Early life and career:...
announced that the league would expand to twelve teams from six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
through the creation of a new six-team division for the 1967–68 season. In response to Campbell's announcement, a partnership of nine men, led by Walter Bush, Jr.
Walter Bush
Walter L. Bush, Jr. is an American ice hockey administrator.In 1955, he helped start the Central Hockey League, which turned into one of the few successful minor professional hockey leagues of that era...
and John Driscoll, was formed to seek a franchise for the Twin Cities area of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Their efforts were successful, as the NHL awarded one of its six expansion franchises to Minnesota on February 9, 1966. In addition to Minnesota, the five other franchises were awarded to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
), Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The "North Stars" name was announced on May 25, 1966, following a public contest. The name is derived from the state's motto "L'Étoile du Nord
L'Étoile du Nord
L'Étoile du Nord is a French phrase meaning "The Star of the North". It is the motto of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was chosen by the state's first governor, Henry Hastings Sibley, and was adopted in 1861, three years after admission of Minnesota to the union. Because of this motto, one of...
", which is a French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
phrase meaning "The Star of the North". Months after the naming of the team, ground was broken on October 3, 1966, for a new hockey arena in Bloomington, Minnesota. The home of the North Stars, the Metropolitan Sports Center, was built in 12 months at a cost of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7 million. The arena was ready for play for the start of the 1967–68 NHL season, but portions of the arena's construction had not been completed. Spectator seats were in the process of being installed as fans arrived at the arena for the opening home game on October 21, 1967.
Early years
On October 11, 1967, the North Stars played the first game in franchise history on the road against the St. Louis Blues, another expansion team. The game ended in a 2-2 tie. On October 21, 1967, the North Stars played their first home game against the California Seals. The North Stars won 3-1. The team achieved success early as it was in first place in the West Division halfway through the 1967–68 season. Tragedy struck the team during the first season on January 13, 1968, when forward Bill MastertonBill Masterton
William J. Masterton was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played one season in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars before succumbing to an injury he suffered during a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968...
suffered a fatal hit during a game against the Seals at Met Center. Skating towards the Seals goal across the blue line, Masterton fell backwards, hitting the back of his head on the ice, rendering him unconscious. He never regained consciousness and died on January 15, 1968, at the age of 29, two days after the accident. Doctors described the cause of Masterton's death as a "massive brain injury". To this date, this remains the only death as a result of an injury during a game in NHL history. The North Stars retired his jersey, and later that year, hockey writers established the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
which would be given annually to a player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Following the news of Masterton's death, the North Stars lost the next six games.
The North Stars would achieve success in their first year of existence by finishing in fourth place in the West Division with a record of 27-32-15, and advancing to the playoffs. During the 1968 playoffs, the North Stars defeated the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in seven games after losing the first two in the series. In the next round, the West finals, the North Stars faced the St. Louis Blues in a series which would also go to a seventh game. Minnesota was one game away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals
1968 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
, but in the deciding game, they lost in double overtime.
The team was led in the early years by the goaltending duo Lorne "Gump" Worsley
Gump Worsley
Lorne John "Gump" Worsley was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he was given his nickname due to friends deciding he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.-Career:...
and Cesare Maniago
Cesare Maniago
Cesare "Hail Cesare" Maniago is a retired National Hockey League goaltender, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars, for whom he remains the 2nd all-time leader in games played in goal.- Playing history :...
. Defenseman Ted Harris was the North Stars' captain. The first Stars team also included high-scoring winger Bill Goldsworthy
Bill Goldsworthy
William Alfred Goldsworthy was a professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for 14 seasons between 1964 and 1978, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars.-Playing career:...
and other quality players such as Barry Gibbs
Barry Gibbs
Barry "Gibby" Gibbs is a former professional ice hockey defenceman.-Playing career:...
, Jude Drouin
Jude Drouin
Jude Drouin is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.-Playing career:Drafted in the third round of the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft, 17th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens, Drouin played for their junior team, the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Quebec Major Junior League, in the 1966 season, playing...
, J. P. Parise, Danny Grant
Danny Grant
Daniel Frederick Grant is a retired Canadian ice hockey right winger, who played in the National Hockey League for parts of fourteen seasons, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars....
, Lou Nanne
Lou Nanne
Louis Vincent Nanne is a retired ice hockey defenceman and general manager who has made significant contributions to hockey in the United States.- Early life :...
, Tom Reid
Tom Reid
Thomas Allan Reid is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 690 games in the National Hockey League...
and Dennis Hextall
Dennis Hextall
Dennis Hextall is a former professional hockey forward who spent most of his career with the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings...
.
The World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA) began play in 1972 with a Minnesota franchise based in St. Paul. While a number of exhibition games were played between teams in the two leagues, the North Stars never played their cross-town rivals, the Minnesota Fighting Saints
Minnesota Fighting Saints
The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and...
. However, the competition for the hockey dollar between these two clubs was fierce. The Fighting Saints folded at mid-season on two occasions, and by 1978 the North Stars themselves were in financial difficulty.
Fan interest was in decline as the team had missed the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons, and the league feared that the franchise was on the verge of folding. However, in 1978, Gordon
Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund is an United States businessman and professional sports owner. He is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation. He is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks and former principal owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and is currently a minority owner of the Cavaliers...
and George Gund III, already owners of the troubled Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Barons (NHL)
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
franchise, bought the North Stars. They were permitted to merge the two teams in an unprecedented arrangement. The merged team would continue to be known as the Minnesota North Stars, but assume the Barons' place in the Adams Division
Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins...
. The recently-retired Nanne was named general manager, and a number of the Barons players – notably goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins...
and forwards Al MacAdam
Al MacAdam
Reginald Allan MacAdam is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1973 and 1985, and was twice selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game. He is best known for his time with the Minnesota North Stars, where he was one of the franchise's...
and Mike Fidler
Mike Fidler
Michael Edward Fidler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 271 games in the National Hockey League between 1976 and 1982. He played for the Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars, Hartford Whalers, and Chicago Black Hawks...
– bolstered the Minnesota lineup. Furthermore, Minnesota had drafted Bobby Smith, who would go on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as the NHL's top rookie that year, and Steve Payne, who himself would go on to record 42 goals in his second campaign in 1979–80.
1980s
In the middle of this transition, an historic night awaited the North Stars. On January 6, 1980, Minnesota was scheduled to play the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, who came to Bloomington sporting the NHL's (and major league sports') longest undefeated streak, a 35-game run which included 25 wins and 10 ties. An all-time record Met Center crowd of 15,962 squeezed into the arena, which was the largest crowd to ever witness a hockey game in Minnesota to that time, and would remain the highest total in all 26 seasons of the North Stars franchise. Minnesota ended the Flyers' streak with a 7-1 win, with two North Stars posting hat tricks.
With the addition of new players such as Minnesota native and ex-1980 Olympian
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics was held at the Olympic Arena and the Olympic Fieldhouse in Lake Placid, New York. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, which was held from February 12 to February 24...
Neal Broten
Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings...
and sniper Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli
.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
, the North Stars had five straight winning seasons starting in 1979–80, which included back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup semifinals, first against the Flyers in 1980 and then against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in 1981. By defeating the Flames in 1981, the North Stars reached their first Stanley Cup Final, only to lose in five games to the heavily favored New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli
.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
would score a franchise record 55 goals in just his second season in 1981–82, leading Minnesota to its first division title. The team, however, bowed out of the playoffs in the first round against the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
.
In the summer of 1982, general manager Lou Nanne
Lou Nanne
Louis Vincent Nanne is a retired ice hockey defenceman and general manager who has made significant contributions to hockey in the United States.- Early life :...
orchestrated one of the franchise's biggest moves ever, landing a star in the making by drafting highly-coveted Brian Bellows
Brian Bellows
Brian Bellows is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1200 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals...
. It paid immediate dividends, as Bellows would score 35 goals in his rookie season of 1982–83 and help the team to finish with 40 wins and 96 regular season points – both the most ever recorded in the 26 years the franchise was based in Minnesota. Once again, though, the North Stars fell in the playoffs to the Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, this time in the second round.
Beginning in 1983–84, the team was determined to erase the failures of the previous two campaigns and came close to doing so. This was a season of change for the North Stars and their fans, as Bill Mahoney
Bill Mahoney
Bill Mahoney is a former Canadian ice hockey coach. He was head coach of the Minnesota North Stars from 1983 to 1985.-External links:...
, a defensive-minded teacher of the game, took over as coach. Very early in the season, a major trade shook the organization, all of Minnesota, and the NHL. The popular Bobby Smith was shipped off to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
for a pair of defense-minded forwards, Keith Acton
Keith Acton
Keith Edward Acton is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders between 1980 and 1994...
and Mark Napier. The team would go on to post the second-highest victory total in its history with 39, and win its second Norris Division
Norris Division
The NHL's Norris Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference in 1981, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. The...
crown.
In the playoffs, the North Stars finally defeated their rival, the Chicago Black Hawks. Minnesota won the series 3 games to 2, then eliminated the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in seven games. Only one team remained between the North Stars' second Stanley Cup Final appearance in four seasons: Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
's Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. It was a tough, high-scoring series, but Edmonton's star-studded lineup proved too much for the North Stars, and the Oilers swept Minnesota in four games en route to their first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship.
After 1984, the franchise would only have one more winning season in Minnesota. While the late 1980s saw the franchise draft what would turn out to be their greatest player – forward Mike Modano
Mike Modano
Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. is a retired American professional ice hockey player, who most notably played for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL, as well as the last active player in the NHL...
– chronic attendance problems spurred the owners to threaten to move the club to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, against the league's wishes.
1990s
The NHL instituted a compromise for the 1990–91 season whereby the Gund brothers were awarded an expansion team in the Bay Area, the San Jose SharksSan Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, that would receive players via a dispersal draft with the North Stars. A group previously petitioning for an NHL team in the Bay Area, led by Howard Baldwin
Howard Baldwin
Howard Baldwin is an American entrepreneur and film producer. He is the CEO of Baldwin Entertainment, which has produced films such as the Academy Award-nominated Ray. Baldwin founded the New England Whalers ice hockey franchise in the WHA and has also owned part of the Minnesota North Stars and...
and Morris Belzberg
Morris Belzberg
Morris Belzberg is a Canadian born businessman, who has lived in the United States since approximately 1966. He is the former owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. He won the Stanley Cup with the team in 1992.- Background :Belzberg was the Chairman of Budget Rent A Car...
, bought the North Stars as part of the deal. Baldwin and Belzberg purchased the team from the Gund brothers for approximately $38.1 million (including $1 million in liabilities as well as giving the Gunds their share of the fees from the next three expansion teams, expected to be $7.14 million). Norman Green, a last-minute newcomer to Baldwin and Belzberg's group, purchased 51% controlling interest in the North Stars from them, with Baldwin and Belzberg sharing the remaining 49% stake in the team. Green agreed to purchase Baldwin's 24.5% share, giving him more than 75% control of the team shortly after a dispute with Baldwin arose. Belzberg maintained his share of the rest of the team's stock until October 1990, when Green became the team's sole owner by buying Belzberg's shares.
In that 1991 season, despite a losing record in the regular season, the North Stars embarked on a Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
run to the Stanley Cup Finals
1991 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1991 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup victory. As of 2011, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the...
. They knocked off the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and St. Louis Blues (the top two teams in the NHL during the regular season) in six games each and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in five games, making it to the finals for the second time in franchise history. The team fought hard against the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, led by Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
. They won two out of the first three contests before being obliterated 8-0 in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series. It was the most one-sided defeat in a deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals since the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
defeated the Dawson City Nuggets
Dawson City Nuggets
The Dawson City Nuggets were a hockey team from Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada that challenged the reigning champion Ottawa Hockey Club, aka "The Silver Seven," in January 1905, for the Stanley Cup. They suffered the most lopsided single-game defeat in the history of Stanley Cup...
23-2 in 1905.
Following the 1991 Finals run, the North Stars adopted a new logo – the word "STARS" in italicized gold capitals over a green star with a gold outline. The team also adopted black as their primary color for their road uniforms, and eliminated gold from the uniform, except for the logo.
To celebrate the team's 25th anniversary, a commemorative patch was worn on the North Stars' uniforms, on the left shoulder. The patch depicted Bill Goldsworthy, wearing a green uniform, facing off against Mike Modano, wearing the new black uniform.
The North Stars would make the 1992 Playoffs
1992 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 18, after the conclusion of the 1991–92 NHL season...
with their new look, and take a 3-2 series lead on the Norris Division
Norris Division
The NHL's Norris Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference in 1981, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. The...
champion Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
into Game 6 at the Met Center. The Red Wings won, 1-0, in overtime after a video review confirmed that Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
had scored a goal, the first use of video replay in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wings would win the seventh game at home, 5-2.
Departure to Dallas
As is well explained in a 1993 Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
article, owner Norman Green was much reviled in Minnesota following his decision to relocate the franchise. Several reasons were cited for the relocation, including poor attendance during a string of losing seasons, the failure to reach deals for a new arena in either Minneapolis or Saint Paul, and a sexual harassment lawsuit against Green that resulted in his wife threatening to leave him unless he moved the team. The article included a quote from North Stars booster club president Julie Hammond: "When [Norm Green] came here, he said, 'Only an idiot could lose money on hockey in Minnesota.' Well, I guess he proved that point."
On the other hand, the Dallas franchise has taken some steps to mend the emotional wounds left in Minnesota. When the Dallas Stars won the 1999 Stanley Cup (by this time, Norm Green no longer owned the team), their official video "Nothing Else Matters" not only included their past seasons' disappointments, but also paid tribute to the North Stars' 1991 run to the final, of which star Mike Modano
Mike Modano
Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. is a retired American professional ice hockey player, who most notably played for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL, as well as the last active player in the NHL...
and general manager Bob Gainey
Bob Gainey
Robert Michael "Le Capitaine" Gainey is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989...
had been part.
Modano, who retired in 2011, was the last former North Star in the NHL, leaving the Stars franchise after the season. Only one other former North Star is an active professional as of 2011 – Mike Craig
Mike Craig
Michael Craig is a professional hockey player. He currently plays right wing for the EC VSV in the Austrian Hockey League...
, who plays in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Return of NHL hockey to Minnesota
Professional hockey returned to Minnesota when the NHL announced in 1997 that the state had been awarded an expansion franchise to begin play in the 2000–01 NHL season. In 1998, the team name for the new franchise became the Minnesota WildMinnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
Season-by-season record
The team had 15 playoff appearances, a 77-82 playoff record, 2 Norris Division championships, and 2 Campbell Conference championships.Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1967–68 | 74 | 27 | 35 | 15 | 69 | 191 | 226 | 738 | fourth, West | Won Quarterfinals (Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... ) 4-3 Lost Semifinals (Blues) 4-3 |
| 1968–69 | 76 | 18 | 43 | 15 | 51 | 189 | 270 | 862 | sixth, West | Out of playoffs |
| 1969–70 | 76 | 19 | 35 | 22 | 60 | 224 | 257 | 1,008 | third, West | Lost Quarterfinals (Blues) 4-2 |
| 1970–71 | 78 | 28 | 34 | 16 | 72 | 191 | 223 | 898 | fourth, West | Won Quarterfinals (Blues) 4-2 Lost Semifinals (Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... ) 4-2 |
| 1971–72 | 78 | 37 | 29 | 12 | 86 | 212 | 191 | 853 | second, West | Lost Quarterfinals (Blues) 4-3 |
| 1972–73 | 78 | 37 | 30 | 11 | 85 | 254 | 230 | 881 | third, West | Lost Quarterfinals (Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) 4-2 |
| 1973–74 | 78 | 23 | 38 | 17 | 63 | 235 | 275 | 821 | seventh, West | Out of playoffs |
| 1974–75 | 80 | 23 | 50 | 7 | 53 | 221 | 341 | 1,106 | fourth, Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1975–76 | 80 | 20 | 53 | 7 | 47 | 195 | 303 | 1,191 | fourth, Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1976–77 | 80 | 23 | 39 | 18 | 64 | 240 | 310 | 774 | second, Smythe | Lost Preliminary (Sabres Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... ) 2-0 |
| 1977–78 | 80 | 18 | 53 | 9 | 45 | 218 | 325 | 1,096 | fifth, Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1978–79 | 80 | 28 | 40 | 12 | 68 | 257 | 289 | 1,102 | fourth, Adams | Out of playoffs |
| 1979–80 | 80 | 36 | 28 | 16 | 88 | 311 | 253 | 1,064 | third, Adams | Won Preliminary (Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) 3-0 Won Quarterfinals (Canadiens) 4-3 Lost Semifinals (Flyers) 4-1 |
| 1980–81 | 80 | 35 | 28 | 17 | 87 | 291 | 263 | 1,624 | third, Adams | Won Preliminary (Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... ) 3-0 Won Quarterfinals (Sabres) 4-1 Won Semifinals (Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... ) 4-2 Lost Stanley Cup Finals 1981 Stanley Cup Finals -References:... (Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) 4-1 |
| 1981–82 | 80 | 37 | 23 | 20 | 94 | 346 | 288 | 1,358 | first, Norris | Lost Division Semifinals (Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... ) 3-1 |
| 1982–83 | 80 | 40 | 24 | 16 | 96 | 321 | 290 | 1,520 | second, Norris | Won Division Semifinals (Maple Leafs) 3-1 Lost Division Finals (Blackhawks) 4-1 |
| 1983–84 | 80 | 39 | 31 | 10 | 88 | 345 | 344 | 1,696 | first, Norris | Won Division Semifinals (Blackhawks) 3-2 Won Division Finals (Blues) 4-3 Lost Conference Finals (Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... ) 4-0 |
| 1984–85 | 80 | 25 | 43 | 12 | 62 | 268 | 321 | 1,735 | fourth, Norris | Won Division Semifinals (Blues) 3-0 Lost Division Finals (Blackhawks) 4-2 |
| 1985–86 | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 85 | 327 | 305 | 1,672 | second, Norris | Lost Division Semifinals (Blues) 3-2 |
| 1986–87 | 80 | 30 | 40 | 10 | 70 | 296 | 314 | 1,936 | fifth, Norris | Out of playoffs |
| 1987–88 | 80 | 19 | 48 | 13 | 51 | 242 | 349 | 2,313 | fifth, Norris | Out of playoffs |
| 1988–89 | 80 | 27 | 37 | 16 | 70 | 258 | 278 | 1,972 | third, Norris | Lost Division Semifinals (Blues) 4-1 |
| 1989–90 | 80 | 36 | 40 | 4 | 76 | 284 | 291 | 2,041 | fourth, Norris | Lost Division Semifinals (Blackhawks) 4-3 |
| 1990–91 | 80 | 27 | 39 | 14 | 68 | 256 | 266 | 1,964 | fourth, Norris | Won Division Semifinals (Blackhawks) 4-2 Won Division Finals (Blues) 4-2 Won Conference Finals (Oilers) 4-1 Lost Stanley Cup Finals 1991 Stanley Cup Finals The 1991 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup victory. As of 2011, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the... (Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... ) 4-2 |
| 1991–92 | 80 | 32 | 42 | 6 | 70 | 246 | 278 | 2,169 | fourth, Norris | Lost Division Semifinals (Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... ) 4-3 |
| 1992–93 | 84 | 36 | 38 | 10 | 82 | 272 | 293 | 1,885 | fifth, Norris | Out of playoffs |
| Totals | 2,062 | 758 | 970 | 334 | 1,850 | 6,690 | 7,373 | 36,279 |
|---|
Regular season
- Games played: Neal BrotenNeal BrotenNeal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings...
, 876 - Goals: Brian BellowsBrian BellowsBrian Bellows is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1200 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals...
, 342 - Assists: Neal Broten, 547
- Points: Neal Broten, 796
- Penalty minutes: Basil McRaeBasil McRaeBasil McRae played his major junior hockey with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey Association .In the 1980 NHL entry draft, the Quebec Nordiques drafted McRae in the 3rd round, 87th overall...
, 1,567 - Games: Cesare ManiagoCesare ManiagoCesare "Hail Cesare" Maniago is a retired National Hockey League goaltender, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars, for whom he remains the 2nd all-time leader in games played in goal.- Playing history :...
, 420 - Wins: Cesare ManiagoCesare ManiagoCesare "Hail Cesare" Maniago is a retired National Hockey League goaltender, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars, for whom he remains the 2nd all-time leader in games played in goal.- Playing history :...
, 145 - Shutouts: Cesare Maniago, 26
Team scoring leaders
This is a listing of the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history.Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G | |
| Neal Broten Neal Broten Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings... |
 United States |
C | 876 | 249 | 547 | 796 | .91 |
| Brian Bellows Brian Bellows Brian Bellows is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1200 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals... |
 Canada |
RW | 753 | 342 | 380 | 722 | .96 |
| Dino Ciccarelli Dino Ciccarelli .Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not... |
Canada |
RW | 602 | 332 | 319 | 651 | 1.08 |
| Bobby Smith | Canada |
F | 572 | 185 | 369 | 554 | .97 |
| Bill Goldsworthy Bill Goldsworthy William Alfred Goldsworthy was a professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for 14 seasons between 1964 and 1978, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars.-Playing career:... |
Canada |
RW | 670 | 267 | 239 | 506 | .76 |
| Tim Young Tim Young (ice hockey) Timothy Michael Young is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars, Winnipeg Jets and Philadelphia Flyers.-Junior hockey:... |
Canada |
F | 564 | 178 | 316 | 494 | .88 |
| Steve Payne | Canada |
F | 613 | 228 | 238 | 466 | .76 |
| Craig Hartsburg Craig Hartsburg Craig William Hartsburg is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and associate coach in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames. He also coached in the Ontario Hockey League. He has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and... |
Canada |
D | 570 | 98 | 315 | 413 | .72 |
| Dave Gagner Dave Gagner David R. Gagner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current Director of Player Development for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... |
Canada |
C | 440 | 187 | 217 | 404 | .92 |
| J. P. Parise | Canada |
LW | 588 | 154 | 242 | 396 | .67 |
NHL awards and trophies
Clarence S. Campbell BowlClarence S. Campbell Bowl
The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, or simply the Campbell Bowl, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. It is named after Clarence S. Campbell, who served as President of the NHL from to . The trophy itself is constructed of sterling silver, crafted in...
- 1990–91
Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
- Danny GrantDanny GrantDaniel Frederick Grant is a retired Canadian ice hockey right winger, who played in the National Hockey League for parts of fourteen seasons, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars....
: 1968–69 - Bobby Smith: 1978–79
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
- Al MacAdamAl MacAdamReginald Allan MacAdam is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1973 and 1985, and was twice selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game. He is best known for his time with the Minnesota North Stars, where he was one of the franchise's...
: 1979–80
Team captains
Note: This list does not include Minnesota WildMinnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, California Golden Seals
California Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
and Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Barons (NHL)
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
captains.
Hockey Hall of Fame
These players are in the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
:
- Leo BoivinLeo BoivinLéo Joseph Boivin is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota North Stars.-Playing career:Leo Boivin began playing hockey at seven years...
, D, 1969–70, inducted 1986 - Mike GartnerMike GartnerMichael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
, RW, 1989–90, inducted 2001 - Larry Murphy, D, 1989–90, inducted 2004
- Gump WorsleyGump WorsleyLorne John "Gump" Worsley was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he was given his nickname due to friends deciding he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.-Career:...
, G, 1969–74, inducted 1980 - Dino CiccarelliDino Ciccarelli.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
, RW, 1980–89, inducted 2010
Retired numbers (in Minnesota)
- 8 Bill GoldsworthyBill GoldsworthyWilliam Alfred Goldsworthy was a professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for 14 seasons between 1964 and 1978, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars.-Playing career:...
, RW, 1967–77 - 19 Bill MastertonBill MastertonWilliam J. Masterton was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played one season in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars before succumbing to an injury he suffered during a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968...
, C, 1967–68
These numbers remain retired with the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
today. In addition to Goldsworthy and Masterton, the Stars have retired the number 7 of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
native, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
graduate and 1980 Olympic hero Neal Broten
Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings...
, C, 1981-93.
First round draft picks
- 19671967 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1967 NHL Amateur Draft was held June 7, 1967 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Listed below are the selections in the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-External links:*...
: Wayne CheesmanWayne CheesmanWayne Cheesman is a Canadian former ice hockey left winger. He was drafted 4th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft but never played in the National Hockey League....
(fourth overall) - 19681968 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1968 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1968 NHL Entry Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-External links:* *...
: Jim BenzelockJim BenzelockJim Benzelock is a former professional ice hockey right winger. He was drafted in the first round, fifth overall, by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1968 NHL Amateur Draft...
(fifth overall) - 19691969 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1969 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This draft is notable for being the first NHL draft to be conducted after the league ended direct sponsorship of junior hockey.-Selections by round:...
: Dick RedmondDick RedmondRichard John "Dick" Redmond is a former NHL defenceman. He is the brother of former NHL player and Red Wings broadcaster Mickey Redmond....
(fifth overall) - 19701970 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1970 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 11, 1970 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft...
: none - 19711971 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 10, 1971 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
: none - 19721972 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1972 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft...
: Jerry ByersJerry ByersJerry William Byers was a former professional ice hockey forward. He was drafted in the first round, twelfth overall, by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft...
(12th overall) - 19731973 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, the 11th National Hockey League draft was the first to be held on a separate day from other league activities on May 15, 1973, at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec so it would not overshadow the rest of the league meetings. Previously, the league had held the...
: none - 19741974 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1974 NHL Amateur Draft was held via conference call at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. In an effort to prevent the WHA from poaching players, the draft was conducted early and in secret. This failed to prevent tampering as information leaked out via agents and other sources over the three...
: Doug HicksDoug HicksDouglas Allan Hicks was a professional ice hockey defenceman who had a reputation as an "iron man" early in his NHL career, missing only one game his first three seasons in the league with the Minnesota North Stars...
(sixth overall) - 19751975 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and the 18th overall pick to the Washington Capitals for the number one overall selection,...
: Bryan MaxwellBryan MaxwellBryan Clifford Maxwell is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 331 games in the National Hockey League and 124 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Cleveland Crusaders, Cincinnati Stingers, New England Whalers, Minnesota North Stars, St...
(fourth overall) - 19761976 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1976 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec on June 1, 1976. It is notable as featuring one of the weakest first rounds in draft history, as only two players played more than 450 career NHL games. In 2002, Federko was elected into the Hockey Hall-of-Fame after...
: Glen SharpleyGlen SharpleyGlen Stuart Sharpley is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 286 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Black Hawks.- External links :...
(third overall) - 19771977 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1977 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft.Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:...
: Brad MaxwellBrad MaxwellBrad Robert Maxwell is a former professional ice hockey player renowned as a playmaking defenceman. After having won the Memorial Cup in 1977 as a member of the New Westminster Bruins, Maxwell was selected seventh overall in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft by the Minnesota North Stars...
(seventh overall) - 19781978 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1978 NHL Amateur Draft occurred at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec on June 15, 1978. It was the last draft to be called the "Amateur Draft" before the process was renamed to the NHL Entry Draft in 1979.-Selections by round:...
: Bobby Smith (first overall) - 19791979 NHL Entry DraftThe 1979 NHL Entry Draft took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 126 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1978–79 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those...
: Craig HartsburgCraig HartsburgCraig William Hartsburg is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and associate coach in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames. He also coached in the Ontario Hockey League. He has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and...
(sixth overall) and Tom McCarthyTom McCarthy (ice hockey b. 1960)Tom McCarthy is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 460 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
(10th overall) - 19801980 NHL Entry DraftThe 1980 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft. The National Hockey League teams selected 210 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1979–80 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the...
: Brad PalmerBrad PalmerBrad Donald Palmer is a retired professional ice hockey player. He was selected by the Minnesota North Stars with the 16th pick in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. He played two seasons with the North Stars and then played one year with the Boston Bruins.-External links:...
(16th overall) - 19811981 NHL Entry DraftThe 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
: Ron MeighanRon MeighanRon James Meighan is a former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted in the first round, 13th overall, by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft...
(13th overall) - 19821982 NHL Entry DraftThe 1982 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981–82 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
: Brian BellowsBrian BellowsBrian Bellows is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1200 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals...
(second overall) - 19831983 NHL Entry DraftThe 1983 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did not participate in this draft, shortly after the league blocked the franchise's...
: Brian LawtonBrian LawtonBrian R. Lawton is a former professional ice hockey left wing and agent who played 483 games in the National Hockey League between 1983 and 1992...
(first overall) - 19841984 NHL Entry DraftThe 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
: David QuinnDavid Quinn (ice hockey)David Quinn is a former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is the current head coach of the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.-Playing career:...
(13th overall) - 19851985 NHL Entry DraftThe 1985 NHL Entry Draft was the first draft outside of Montreal. The event was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and attended by 7,000 fans. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the...
: none - 19861986 NHL Entry DraftThe 1986 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 21, 1986 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1985–86 NHL season and playoff standings...
: Warren BabeWarren BabeWarren Babe is a former National Hockey League left winger. He was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in the first round with the twelfth overall pick in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft...
(12th overall) - 19871987 NHL Entry DraftThe 1987 NHL Entry Draft was held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1986–87 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players selected.-Selections...
: Dave ArchibaldDave ArchibaldDavid J. Archibald is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. He is currently an assistant coach with the Western Hockey League's Chilliwack Bruins.-Playing career:...
(sixth overall) - 19881988 NHL Entry DraftThe 1988 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
: Mike ModanoMike ModanoMichael Thomas Modano, Jr. is a retired American professional ice hockey player, who most notably played for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL, as well as the last active player in the NHL...
(first overall) - 19891989 NHL Entry DraftThe 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Some believe that the Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft was the most successful ever, with 5,721 total NHL games played by the players selected.-Selections by round:...
: Doug ZmolekDoug ZmolekDouglas Allan Zmolek is an American retired professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL for eight seasons between 1992 and 2000.-Playing career:...
(seventh overall) - 19901990 NHL Entry DraftThe 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft was the 28th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Vancouver Canucks at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 16, 1990...
: Derian HatcherDerian HatcherDerian Hatcher is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers...
(eighth overall) - 19911991 NHL Entry DraftThe 1991 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The draft was famous for the controversy surrounding star first overall draft pick, touted by some observers to be The Next One, Eric Lindros, who was drafted by the...
: Richard MatvichukRichard MatvichukRichard Matvichuk is a former NHL defenceman. He played 14 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars, and the New Jersey Devils.Although he was born in Edmonton, Richard was raised in the nearby city of Fort Saskatchewan...
(eighth overall) - 19921992 NHL Entry DraftThe 1992 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 20 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. A total of 264 players were drafted.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
: none
Logos and colors
Broadcasting
WTCN-TV Channel 11 (now KAREKARE
KARE, digital channel 11, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin. It also operates KARE WX NOW, formerly known as NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel...
) carried North Stars games from 1967 to 1979. Usually, 27 road games and three home games were televised each season. Frank Buetel was the play-by-play announcer from 1967 to 1970. Hal Kelly took over for the next few years. followed by
Joe Boyle in the mid-1970s. Boyle was joined by color commentator Roger Buxton. After the station gained NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliation in 1979, telecasts moved to KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the Fox-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WFTC...
, with most called by Bob Kurtz
Bob Kurtz (broadcaster)
Bob Kurtz is an American sportscaster, currently broadcasting games for the Minnesota Wild hockey team. He has previously been a play-by-play announcer for the...
and retired North Stars defenseman Tom Reid
Tom Reid
Thomas Allan Reid is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 690 games in the National Hockey League...
. (Incidentally, Kurtz and Reid are the Minnesota Wild's current radio announce team.) In the mid-1980s, KITN (now WFTC
WFTC
WFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV owned and operated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area...
) televised North Stars games with Frank Mazzocco on play-by-play with color commentator Wally Shaver. For a brief period during the late 1980s, North Stars games were telecast over Saint Cloud-based UHF station KXLI
KPXM
KPXM-TV virtual channel 41 is a television station based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and owned and operated by ION Media Networks . The station is an affiliate of the Ion Television network. The station is licensed to St. Cloud, Minnesota. The KPXM Tower near the city of Big Lake KPXM-TV virtual...
(with Doug McLeod on play-by-play and former Islander goalie Glenn "Chico" Resch on color), but given the station's distant transmitter location near Big Lake, Minnesota
Big Lake, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,063 people, 2,117 households, and 1,570 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,688.4 people per square mile . There were 2,206 housing units at an average density of 614.3 per square mile...
, reception in the Twin Cities ranged from mediocre to non-existent. Telecasts returned to KMSP by 1990, although few home games were televised—during the Stars' 1991 Stanley Cup Finals run, home games were available only on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
and not available to most hockey fans in Minnesota. Dave Hodge
Dave Hodge
Dave Hodge is a Canadian sports announcer who currently works for TSN, and has worked in the past for the CBC and CFRB 1010 radio in Toronto.-Broadcasting career:...
handled TV play-by-play in the 1990-91 season.
North Stars radio broadcasts originated from WCCO Radio from 1967 to 1978, then moved to another Twin Cities-based clear-channel station, KSTP, where radio broadcasts stayed until the team moved to Dallas in 1993, save a few seasons on a 5,000-watt radio station, WAYL
KKMS
KKMS is a Salem Communications-owned radio station licensed to Richfield, Minnesota, United States and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Studios are located in Eagan, Minnesota...
. Al Shaver was the play-by-play radio announcer throughout the Stars' stay in Minnesota. During the WCCO era, Shaver was joined for many home games by WCCO's Larry Jagoe in the early seasons, followed by WCCO personality Steve Cannon
Steve Cannon (radio)
Steve Cannon was an American radio personality who spent the bulk of his career hosting a drive time talk show in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 3pm-6pm and 3pm-7pm...
. Shaver's partners on KSTP were Russ Small, Ted Robinson
Ted Robinson
Ted Robinson is the name of:*Ted Robinson , Golf course architect*Ted Robinson , American sportscaster...
, and (during the last three seasons) current Dallas Stars announcer Ralph Strangis
Ralph Strangis
Ralph Strangis is a play-by-play commentator, who has covered a variety of sports, but most notably has been the commentator for the Dallas Stars ice hockey franchise of the National Hockey League since the team's move to Dallas in 1993....
. During the Stars' final season (1992–93), Shaver and Strangis called games on KMSP, while the Stars' cable TV game announcer, Doug McLeod, called games over KSTP and the Stars' radio network.
Shaver is a ten-time Minnesota Sportscaster of the Year and, as the 1993 Foster Hewitt
Foster Hewitt
Foster William Hewitt, OC was a Canadian radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for Hockey Night in Canada. He was the son of W. A. Hewitt, and the father of Bill Hewitt.-Early life and career:...
Memorial Award
Foster Hewitt Memorial Award
The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is an award named after Foster Hewitt and presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career...
-winner, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. Following the team's departure to Dallas, he called University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
Golden Gophers hockey
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
games until his retirement in 1996.
It was on the night of the Stars' final game at Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
versus the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
that Shaver first shared the broadcast booth with his son, Wally, who is the current Gopher hockey radio announcer. The elder Shaver's call of the closing moments of the last-ever North Stars game went thus:
See also
- List of Minnesota North Stars players
- List of Minnesota North Stars draft picks
- Dallas StarsDallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
- Minnesota WildMinnesota WildThe Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
- California Seals
- Cleveland BaronsCleveland Barons (NHL)The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
- List of defunct NHL teams
- 1967 NHL expansion1967 NHL expansionThe National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...