Editing Dallas Stars (section)

===1993–1998: Relocation and early years in Dallas===
[[File:Reunion Arena.jpg|thumb|[[Reunion Arena]] was the first home for the Stars in Dallas. The arena was the Stars' home from 1993 to 2001.]]
In 1993, amid further attendance woes and bitter personal controversy, Green obtained permission from the league to move the team to Dallas, for the [[1993–94 NHL season|1993–94 season]], with the decision announced on March 10, 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/patrick-plus-thanks-norm-green/265064341/|title=Patrick Plus: Thanks, Norm Green|website=Star Tribune|access-date=April 14, 2016|archive-date=April 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419133210/http://www.startribune.com/patrick-plus-thanks-norm-green/265064341/|url-status=live}}</ref> Green was convinced by former [[Dallas Cowboys]] quarterback [[Roger Staubach]] that Dallas would be a suitable market for an NHL team.<ref name="dmagazine1"/> With the team's move to the [[Southern United States]], Green decided to drop the "North" adjective but otherwise retained the "Stars" nickname, which in its shortened form quickly proved popular as it matched the state of Texas' official nickname as "The Lone Star State." An NHL franchise in Dallas was an experiment for the league, as at that time the Stars would be one of the three southernmost teams in the league along with two recently created expansion teams in the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] and [[Florida Panthers]] as the league's first real ventures into southern non-traditional hockey markets. The Stars would move into [[Reunion Arena]], built in 1980, the downtown arena already occupied by the [[National Basketball Association]]'s [[Dallas Mavericks]].

To quell the ensuing controversy surrounding the North Stars move to Dallas, the NHL promised that the Twin Cities would receive an expansion franchise in the near future; that promise was fulfilled in 2000 in the form of the [[Minnesota Wild]].

With the league changing the names of the conferences and divisions that season, the newly relocated Stars were placed in the [[Central Division (NHL)|Central Division]] of the [[Western Conference (NHL)|Western Conference]], although these were essentially continuations of the [[Norris Division]] and [[Campbell Conference]] respectively, both of which the North Stars had been part of. The first NHL game in Dallas was played on October 5, 1993, and was a 6–4 win against the [[Detroit Red Wings]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24296620/dallas-stars-first-game-october-5-1993/ | title=Dallas Stars First Game October 5, 1993 Broten Goal | newspaper=St. Cloud Times | date=October 6, 1993 | page=19 | access-date=August 27, 2022 | archive-date=August 27, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827222659/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24296620/dallas-stars-first-game-october-5-1993/ | url-status=live}}</ref> Somewhat ironically, Minnesota native [[Neal Broten]] scored the first Stars goal in Dallas. Though the Stars were relatively still low on the Dallas-Fort Worth sports pecking order upon their arrival, popularity of the team grew rapidly and the immediate success of the team on the ice, as well as [[Mike Modano]]'s career-best season (50 goals, 93 points) helped spur the team's popularity in North Texas. The Stars set franchise bests in wins (42) and points (97) in their first season in Dallas, qualifying for the [[1994 Stanley Cup playoffs|1994 playoffs]]. The Stars further shocked the hockey world by sweeping the [[St. Louis Blues]] in the first round, but lost to the eventual Western Conference Champion [[Vancouver Canucks]] in the second round. The Stars' success in their first season along with Modano's spectacular on-ice performances, would be an integral part of the Stars' eventual franchise success in the immediate years to come.

The almost immediate success of the Stars was also helped by the long legacy of minor-league hockey in the area. Both incarnations of the [[Central Hockey League]] had two teams in the area, the [[Dallas Black Hawks]] and the [[Fort Worth Texans]] for years before the Stars' arrival. Amateur and youth hockey in North Texas were also extremely popular because of the long presence of the minor league teams.

====1994–1998: Arrival of Tom Hicks and building for a championship====
The 1994–95 season was shortened by an [[1994–95 NHL lockout|owners' lockout]]. The Stars traded captain [[Mark Tinordi]] along with [[Rick Mrozik]] to the [[Washington Capitals]] before the season began for [[Kevin Hatcher]]. Longtime North Stars hold-over [[Neal Broten]] was named his replacement, although he was traded too after only 17 games to the [[New Jersey Devils]]. Broten was replaced by Kevin's younger brother [[Derian Hatcher]] as team captain, a role he would serve in for the next decade. The Stars played only 48 games that season posting a record of 17–23–8. Despite the shortened season and the losing record, the Stars again made the playoffs, losing in five games to the Red Wings in the first round.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/DAL/ |title=Dallas Stars Franchise Index |publisher=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=May 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519181732/http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/DAL/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Green, who had run into financial problems stemming from his business ventures outside of ice hockey, was forced to sell the team to businessman [[Tom Hicks]] in December 1995.<ref name="dmagazine1"/>

[[File:Sergei Zubov.jpg|thumb|left|The Stars made several moves to revamp the roster in the 1996 off-season, notably making a trade to acquire [[Sergei Zubov]]. He remained on the team until he left the league in 2009.]] 
The [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96 season]] would be the first season under new owner Tom Hicks. In the off-season, the Stars traded for former [[Montreal Canadiens]]' captain and three-time [[Frank J. Selke Trophy]] winner [[Guy Carbonneau]], who was then with the St. Louis Blues. With the Stars struggling to begin the season, general manager and head coach [[Bob Gainey]] traded for center [[Joe Nieuwendyk]] from the [[Calgary Flames]] in exchange for [[Corey Millen]] and [[Jarome Iginla]], then a Stars prospect. The Stars recorded only 11 wins in the first half of the season, and Bob Gainey relinquished his coaching duties in January to be the full-time general manager of the team. The Stars soon hired [[Michigan K-Wings]] head coach [[Ken Hitchcock]] to replace him; it would be his first NHL head coaching position. The Stars then traded for [[Benoît Hogue|Benoit Hogue]] from the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] late in the season, but ultimately finished in sixth place in the Central Division, missing the playoffs for the first time since moving to Texas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/DAL |title=Dallas Stars Franchise Index |publisher=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=September 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915070607/http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/DAL/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 1996 off-season, the Stars continued to revamp their roster, adding defensemen [[Darryl Sydor]] from the [[Los Angeles Kings]] followed by [[Sergei Zubov]] from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Kevin Hatcher. Zubov would serve as the Stars' top defenseman and powerplay quarterback until leaving the league in 2009. On the ice, Ken Hitchcock's first season proved to be a good one. The Stars bested their 1994 totals, posting 48 wins and reaching the 100-point mark for the first time in franchise history. The Stars won the [[Central Division (NHL)|Central Division]], their first division title since 1983–84 (when they were still the Minnesota North Stars) and were seeded second in the [[1997 Stanley Cup playoffs|playoffs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1997.html |title=1996–97 NHL Season Summary |publisher=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020200557/http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1997.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the regular season success, the youthful Stars were upset in the first round by the [[Edmonton Oilers]] in seven games. Defenseman [[Grant Ledyard]] tripped in overtime of game 7, allowing [[Todd Marchant]] to score the game- and series-winning goal on a breakaway against goaltender [[Andy Moog]].

During the 1997 off-season, the Stars signed star goaltender [[Ed Belfour]] as a free agent after a well-publicized falling-out with the San Jose Sharks, which had traded a number of players to the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] to obtain him in January in the previous season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeygoalies.org/bio/belfour.html |title=Ed Belfour |publisher=Hockeygoalies.org |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=September 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903101152/http://www.hockeygoalies.org/bio/belfour.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Andy Moog was allowed to leave via free agency, but later returned to the Stars as an assistant coach. The [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98 season]] was another banner year for the Stars. The Stars again set franchise records in wins (49) and points (109). Dallas acquired [[Mike Keane]] at the deadline from the [[New York Rangers]]. The Stars won the franchise's first [[Presidents' Trophy]] as the league's best regular season team, as well as the Central Division title for the second season in a row. Belfour set franchise season records for [[goals against average]] (1.88), wins (37) and just missed out on the [[Jennings Trophy]] by one goal to [[Martin Brodeur]] of the [[New Jersey Devils]]. The Stars were the first overall seed for the [[1998 Stanley Cup playoffs]] and defeated the eighth-seeded San Jose Sharks in six games in the first round. Notorious enforcer [[Bryan Marchment]] injured Joe Nieuwendyk's right knee, forcing him to miss the rest of the playoffs with torn ligaments. In the second round, they again met the Edmonton Oilers, this time defeating them in five games. However, without Nieuwendyk, the Stars lacked the firepower to overcome the defending [[Stanley Cup]] champion Detroit Red Wings in the conference finals and lost in six games. The Red Wings went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.