DALLAS — The Dallas Stars are finally giving the franchise's greatest player -- a man who also just so happens to be the greatest American-born hockey player of all time -- his due.
Sure, Mike Modano already saw his No. 9 sweater number raised to the rafters of the American Airlines Center back in 2014, and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame that same year.
But now he's getting the statue treatment.
During the second period of the Stars' home game against the New York Rangers on Monday, Nov. 20, the franchise announced that it plans to install a statue of Modano on PNC Plaza, just outside of its home arena of the American Airlines Center in Downtown Dallas.
"It's just one of those calls you never expect to get," Modano said when asked about the announcement after it was made public. "It was a great phone call, one that you cherish."
His statue will take up residence alongside Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki's 2022-installed statue on the opposing entrance corner to the plaza, right along Nowitzki Way in Victory Park, the team confirmed on Monday night.
The sculpture will be formally unveiled for the public to see on March 16, 2024, team announced.
The statue will be designed by Omri Amrany and Sean Bell at the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany in Highwood, Illinois, the team said in a press release.
Dallasites will recognize Amrany's work: He designed the Nowitzki statue that Modano's will sit alongside.
"I think being out there in that plaza with Dirk means a lot," Modano said. "He's been such a great friend and good guy. When I got called about this a few years ago, I knew it was going to be exciting."
Amrany and his team are also responsible for statues of around the globe of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Gordie Howe, David Beckham, and more. As for what this statue will look like, Amrany said he isn't going to divulge that just yet.
"Wait and see," Amrany said.
He did, however, drop a hint that it will involve an absence of gravity -- similar to other statues he's done.
"You'll recognize it," Modano said with a laugh, noting that the pair settled on a pose after looking through photos of Modano's career.
Modano said he has seen the piece and that it looked great, even only being completed 25%. The piece has been in the work for months now, he said,
"His only complaint was, are you done yet?" Amrany said with a laugh.
"It's a masterpiece," Modano said.
No. 9 is certainly deserving of the honor.
Modano played 22 seasons in the NHL in all. He started his career with the Minnesota North Stars in the 1988-1989 season, then joined that franchise when it moved to North Texas in 1993 to become the Dallas Stars.
In total, Modano played more than two decades for the same franchise before playing one final season for the Detroit Red Wings in 2010-2011. He brought North Stars and Stars three times to the Stanley Cup Final, first with Minnesota in 1991 and then in back-to-back years in Dallas across the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
In that 1999 appearance, he would hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time -- and still only time -- in Stars history.
Now, more than 13 seasons removed from the last time he laced up his skates for Dallas, he still looms large over the franchise, holding records in almost every offensive category there is.
To this day, he continues to lead the franchise in games played (1,459), goals scored (557), assisted (802), points (1,359), power play goals (156), short-handed goals (29), game-winning goals (92) and shorts on net (4,194).
Which sports icons have statues across Dallas-Fort Worth?
In honoring Modano with a statue, the Stars become the last remaining major sports team in Dallas-Fort Worth to celebrate one of its icons with a statue -- beating the Dallas Mavericks out on that dubious distinction by a year.
Beyond the Mavericks' aforementioned Nowitzki statue, the Dallas Cowboys have a statue of legendary coach Tom Landry outside of Arlington's AT&T Stadium and the Texas Rangers have statues of both pitcher Nolan Ryan and catcher Ivan Rodriguez outside of their Arlington ballpark.
FC Dallas even has a statue of its own outside of its home Toyota Stadium in Frisco: a sculpture honoring franchise patriarch Lamar Hunt.
Both TCU and SMU have statues honoring titans of their football programs' past as well: In Fort Worth, TCU has a statue honoring longtime coach Gary Patterson; and in University Park, SMU has an on-campus statue honoring Heisman Trophy-winning running back Doak Walker.
Other sports icons with statues across North Texas include:
- Dallas-raised baseball great Ernie Banks, who has a statue outside of his alma mater of Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas
- North Texas-sprung golf hero Byron Nelson, who has a statue at the TPC Las Colinas golf course that formerly housed the PGA tournament named in his honor
- Golf all-timer Ben Hogan, who has a statue at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, where he won that course's PGA tour stop a whopping five times
- Golfers Charlie Sifford and Walter Hagen, who each boast statues at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas in honor of their wins there for the 1954 United Golf Association’s National Negro Open and the 1927 PGA championship, respectively