While the unveiling of Mike Modano’s statue on PNC Plaza didn’t happen as originally planned due to inclement weather, the makeshift indoor ceremony created a moment even more powerful.
When Modano took the podium at the end of the first period of the Stars’ 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings Saturday night, he was greeted with a minute-long standing ovation from the American Airlines Center crowd as tears filled his eyes. What was expected to be a ceremony for a few hundred people ultimately had just shy of 20,000. The louder the crowd roared, the harder Modano’s tears flowed.
The cheers echoed inside the arena that Modano helped build, as the franchise immortalized its all-time leading scorer by etching his place in Dallas sports history forever.
“It’s hard to put into words what this has meant,” Modano said during his speech. “Thirty years ago, we got on a plane in 1993 to come here not knowing what to expect. Five years later, we gave you a Stanley Cup. We feel we’ve turned Dallas into a hockey town.”
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