Modano to have statue unveiled by Stars on March 16

Legendary hockey player, Mike Modano, will be immortalized with a statue outside the American Airlines Center in Dallas by the Dallas Stars. The unveiling will take place on March 16, just before the Stars face off against the Los Angeles Kings.

Notably, Modano has already had his No. 9 jersey retired by the Dallas Stars back on March 8, 2014.

In response to this latest honor, Modano expressed his surprise, saying, “You always feel like we’re done here, and then something else comes along. The jersey, the Hall of Fame, and then being out on that plaza with (Dallas Mavericks star) Dirk [Nowitzki] obviously means a lot. He’s been such a great friend and good guy and done a lot of things that were exciting for each of us for our teams and this city. When (Stars chief communications officer) Dan [Stuchal] and (president and chief executive officer) Brad [Alberts] and (owner) Tom [Gaglardi] called about doing this deal a few years ago, it was exciting. I thought it was just kind of icing on the whole thing.”

As the No. 1 pick in the 1988 NHL Draft for the Minnesota North Stars, Modano boasts several records in the Stars/North Stars history, including goals (557), assists (802), points (1,359), power-play goals (156), short-handed goals (29), game-winning goals (92), and games played (1,459). He was also an integral part of the Dallas team’s Stanley Cup victory in 1999.

Modano’s accolades continue as he holds the title of the NHL’s all-time leading scorer among players born in the United States. In 2014, he was rightfully inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Reacting to the news of the upcoming statue, Modano expressed his gratitude, stating, “Very honored, very humbling. To have it here, this town has meant a lot to me and the fans. My time here has been very special to me and will never forget the moments and the experiences that we shared here in this town with everybody. It’s hard to picture yourself out there next to Dirk and with all the other great athletes that have been part of great organizations around the country, starting with Gordie Howe, Stan Nikita, Bobby Hull, Luc Robitaille, Wayne Gretzky … it doesn’t seem real.”

— NHL.com independent correspondent Taylor Baird contributed to this report