Editing Dallas Stars (section)

====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.