ALLEN -- The Allen Americans added some serious hardware to their front office with the addition of Dallas Stars greats Mike Modano, Ed Belfour, Craig Ludwig and Richard Matvichuk as minority owners. To mark this historic occasion for the CHL franchise, the team invited the public to the press conference inside the Allen Events Center that doubled as a watch party for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils.
Modano was the face of the Stars franchise from the time the team relocated to Dallas in the early 90s through 2010. He is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader among American born players in the NHL. Former Stars goalie, Ed Belfour, played 18 seasons in the NHL acquiring 484 wins between the pipes, third all-time in the NHL.
"This is a great day for the city of Allen and the game of hockey in our community," said city of Allen Mayor Stephen Terrell. "On behalf of the citizens of the community, I would like to welcome Mike Modano, Ed Belfour, Richard Matvichuk and Craig Ludwig to our great city."
The doors opened at 6 p.m with fans pouring into the arena to witness the big announcement of the new era. The Americans, heading into their fourth season, have had the best regular season record the past three years, but have no title to show for their success.
In addition to welcoming the members of the 1999 Stanley Cup champion team to the fold, the Americans also announced the hiring of new head coach Steve Martinson. As a special surprise to the fans, the team also announced the signing of team captain Jason Deitsch.
“Looking ahead to the new season, I am excited to have such a great group of former NHLers joining our staff, "said Americans owner Doug Miller. "They will help take us to the next level in all aspects of the organization including hockey and business operations.”
For further information on the Allen Americans and to purchase tickets, visit here.
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