Michael Thomas Modano Jr. (; born June 7, 1970) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a center and spent most of his career with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He spent the final season of his career with his hometown Detroit Red Wings.
The all-time goal-scoring leader amongst American-born players in NHL history, Modano is widely regarded as one of the greatest American-born ice hockey players of all time. He was drafted first overall by the North Stars in 1988. After the team moved to Texas, he led the Stars to two straight first-place regular season finishes in 1998 and 1999, and the Stanley Cup in 1999.
Modano is considered one of the most influential figures in popularizing ice hockey in Texas and the southern United States. Modano was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 17, 2014. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. In 2019, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
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Early life
Modano was born in Livonia, Michigan, the third child and only son of Michael Sr. and Karen Modano. He grew up in Highland Township, and due to causing problems at school with his mischievous behavior, a friend of his father suggested to put Modano in a team sport to get him controlled. Michael Sr. was a fan of hockey, and decided to teach ice skating to seven-year-old Modano. He learned it well, and six months later was put in local hockey teams. As a youth, he was part of a Detroit Red Wings team in the 1982 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. To spend his minor hockey career with the Detroit Little Caesar's Triple AAA Hockey Club, the Modano family moved to Westland, where he also attended Franklin High School (Livonia, Michigan). He made the Midget Major team at the age of fourteen when his teammates were two to three years older. In the 1984–85 season, Modano scored 50 goals and 50 assists on the way to win the USA Hockey National Championship in 1985. As a child Modano decided to pick the number 9 for his jersey in an homage to both Ted Williams, an idol of his Boston Red Sox fan father, and the Red Wings' own Gordie Howe.
Playing career
Minor leagues (1986–1988)
In 1986, 16-year-old Modano was invited by coach Rick Wilson of the Prince Albert Raiders to come to Saskatchewan and join the Western Hockey League team. At his very first game, he scored a hat trick, and by his second year, Modano was part of the WHL All-Star Team. Four days after Modano's eighteenth birthday, the Minnesota North Stars selected him as the first overall draft pick in the 1988 NHL entry draft. Modano was the second American to be selected first overall in the draft, after Brian Lawton in 1983. Contract problems led Modano to play one more season with the Raiders.
Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars (1988–2010)
The North Stars signed Modano on Christmas of 1988, and he joined the team for the 1989–90 season. He scored his first career NHL goal against Glenn Healy of the New York Islanders, and had a good rookie season which landed him on the NHL All-Rookie team. Modano was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy but controversially lost to 31-year-old Sergei Makarov, who had already played professionally in the Soviet Championship League for over 12 years; this led to an age barrier of 26 for Calder candidates from the following year to the present.
Despite the good start, Modano was often criticized in Minnesota as an underachiever. This was evidenced by a sophomore season where the North Stars reached the 1991 Stanley Cup Final, but Modano's point production dropped, while confronting head coach Bob Gainey for his overtly defensive style. In 1992, Modano signed a four-year extension that made him the highest-paid member of the team, receiving $2 million per year. He soon had his best season up to that point, scoring 93 points at the 1992–93 NHL season and earning his first NHL All-Star Game invitation.
Prior to the 1993–94 NHL season, the North Stars moved to Dallas to become the Dallas Stars. Considering the relocation to Texas as an opportunity for a fresh start, with different expectations from fans and the media, Modano decided to accept Gainey's suggestions to become a more complete player and perform more attacks. Modano recorded a personal-best 50 goals and again scored 93 points. Soon he became an idol in Dallas, becoming the player who sold the most jerseys and received the most letters. During the next two seasons, Modano lowered his goalscoring and had many injuries – a concussion, a knee injury and ruptured ankle tendons – but improved his defensive play. Despite that, the Stars failed to qualify for the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, and Gainey stepped down as head coach, while remaining general manager.
Ken Hitchcock was hired on January 8, 1996, as the new head coach, installing a defensive-minded system while requesting Modano to concentrate on his offense and using him more routinely – instead of the 15–18 minutes he played under Gainey, Modano routinely played 25 minutes with Hitchcock. Helped by the acquisitions of Joe Nieuwendyk and Sergei Zubov, Modano led the Stars to the Central Division title in the 1996–97 season, but they lost in the opening round of the playoffs to the underdog Edmonton Oilers.
Detroit Red Wings (2010–2011)
On June 29, 2010, the Stars announced that Modano would not be re-signed to a contract for the 2010–11 season. After contemplating retirement or signing with the Detroit Red Wings (in his home state) or with the Minnesota Wild (in the state where he began his NHL career), Modano signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings. As the no. 9 jersey had been retired by the Red Wings, Modano went for no. 90 instead. Coach Mike Babcock expressed a desire for Modano to center Detroit's third line with Dan Cleary and Jiří Hudler.
At 5:35 of the first period of Detroit's 2010–11 home opener, on just his second shift, Modano took a pass from Cleary and beat Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller for his first goal as a Red Wing.
Modano's time with the Red Wings ended on a sour note when Babcock made him a healthy scratch late in the season, even though the team had clinched a playoff berth, preventing him from reaching the milestone of 1,500 regular-season games played. Modano finished his career with 1,499 regular-season games played. Teammates Kris Draper and Nicklas Lidstrom were not pleased with Modano's benching which was an example of Babcock's coaching style which included "mind games". General manager Ken Holland has said in hindsight that if had he been aware of this snub, he would have intervened to have Modano play in order to reach the milestone. Modano retired after the Red Wings lost in the second round of the playoffs to the San Jose Sharks.
Post-playing career
On September 23, 2011, after 21 seasons in the NHL, Modano officially announced his retirement from hockey at a press conference in Dallas. Modano was the last active player to have played in the 1980s, along with Mark Recchi, as well as the last active player to have played for the Minnesota North Stars. The Stars signed Modano to a one-day contract to allow Modano to retire as a Dallas Star. In January 2013, Modano became an alternate governor and executive advisor for the Stars' office. He described his role as regarding the "business side of the organization", attracting the involvement of local businesses to the team, as well as getting more fans to Stars games.
In May 2019, Modano was hired by the Minnesota Wild to serve as an executive advisor in the front office.
Modano is the founder and current Vice President of the Mike Modano Foundation, Inc., which raises awareness and funding for organizations offering education and assistance to children and families affected by child abuse, acts with canine rescue and has also united with the Wounded Warrior Project. Moreover, since the start of his NHL career, Modano has affiliated many times with both charitable organizations and the Texas community in general. He has also had his own clothing line during the 1990s.
Modano was one of a number of sportsmen to feature in a series of vignettes for WWF superstar Mr. Perfect, with Perfect playing as a goaltender saving every shot including Modano's.
Modano made a brief cameo appearance alongside then-teammate Basil McRae in the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks. Modano received a membership voucher to the Screen Actors Guild for the role.
In 2003, the town of Westland, where Modano lived during his minor hockey career and his parents still reside, renamed their ice rink as Mike Modano Ice Arena.
Hull and Modano ran a Dallas restaurant, Hully & Mo Restaurant and Tap Room, from 2008 to 2012.
Legacy
Modano holds numerous records and accolades in NHL history, such as goals by a player born in the United States with 561, career playoff points by an American-born player with 146, and games played by an American-born forward with 1499. These achievements and others led to many peers and sportswriters regarding Modano as one of the greatest American-born ice hockey players of all time.
During his playing career, he was known for his speed, offensive instincts, scoring, puck-handling, and skating ability, and regarded for his well-rounded style of play and skillset.
On January 21, 2007, the NHL announced Modano as the Special Ambassador to the 2007 NHL All-Star Celebration, thanks to his numerous contributions towards bringing the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game to Dallas and also for his contributions to Dallas hockey as a whole. Modano, the Stars' all-time leader in several statistical categories and a member of the franchise for the entirety of his 17-year career, appeared at selected All-Star events and dropped the puck in a ceremonial face-off prior the game on January 24, 2007.
On March 8, 2014, the Dallas Stars retired Modano's #9 jersey. At that time he was only the 4th player in franchise history to have that honor.
On November 17, 2014, Modano was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
For the 100th anniversary of the NHL in January 2017, Modano was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players, voted in by a panel of 58 people, including media members, NHL alumni and NHL executives.
In February 2019, Modano was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
In December 2022, The Athletic ranked Modano at #51 on its "NHL99" list of the 100 best players in modern NHL history.
The Dallas Stars unveiled a statue of Mike Modano at the American Airlines Center on March 16, 2024. The statue honoring Modano, designed by Omri Amrany, is located in the PNC Plaza outside of the arena, alongside one of Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Personal life
During his tenure with the Stars, Modano started dating Kerri Nelson, sister of his teammates Jeff and Todd Nelson. In October 1999, he proposed to her, but eventually they ended the engagement in February 2000.
On November 30, 2006, singer/songwriter Willa Ford announced that Modano, her long-time boyfriend, had proposed to her during the weekend of Thanksgiving, 2006. Modano and Ford were married in a small ceremony in Athens, Texas, on August 25, 2007, where Brett Hull and Darryl Sydor attended as Modano's co-best men. Ford was asked by the NHL to blog the Stars' 2007 playoff series; her posts were well-received, and her support of her husband quite vocal. In August 2012, Ford and Modano announced that they were divorcing.
Modano married professional golfer Allison Micheletti, daughter and niece of former NHL players Joe Micheletti and Pat Micheletti, respectively, on September 1, 2013. They have twins (Jack and Kate), born in 2014 as well as a daughter, Reese (born 2016), son, Luca (born 2018), and daughter, Quinn (born 2020).
Career achievements
Awards
East First All-Star Team (WHL) – 1989
NHL All-Rookie team – 1990
NHL All-Star Games – 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003 (as the Western Conference team captain), 2004, 2007 (as the Special Ambassador), 2009
Stanley Cup champion – 1999
NHL second All-Star team – 2000
Dallas Stars #9 jersey retired – 2014
Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2014
Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2019
Records
Goals by a player born in the United States (561)
Playoff points by an American-born player, career (146)
Games played by an American-born forward (1499)
Game-winning goals by an American-born player (92)
Games played, regular season and playoffs (1459, 174)
Goals, regular season and playoffs (557, 58)
Assists, regular season and playoffs (802, 87)
Points, regular season and playoffs (1359, 145)