Former North Star Modano joins elite company with Hall induction

As retirement parties go, Mike Modano's has been a doozy.

Since walking off the ice in 2011, Modano has had a tear-filled announcement in a Dallas hotel ballroom that ended his 21-year career, entry into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, number retirements for the Prince Albert Raiders and the Stars, and now the Hockey Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted on Monday night in Toronto.

"It's been a wild ride, but if you're going to end it, then this is the way to do it," Modano said. "This is the big one."

Modano said he fully understands the enormity of the Hall of Fame and is awed by the process. He was inducted with Peter Forsberg, Rob Blake, Dominik Hasek, the late coach Pat Burns and referee Bill McCreary.

Modano, who began his career with the Minnesota North Stars before the franchise moved to Dallas in 1993, was introduced by Hall of Famer and good friend Brett Hull. Also expected to join the festivities were Joe Nieuwendyk and Ed Belfour, who recently were inducted into the Hall off the 1999 Stars Stanley Cup team.

"I think that's the best part of it," Modano said. "To have your family there and teammates there, it just makes everything perfect. There's going to be a lot of tears, but there's also going to be a lot of great memories and looking back."

Modano, the first overall draft pick in 1988 by the North Stars, finished his career with 1,374 points in 1,499 games — the greatest NHL scorer born on U.S. soil.

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