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The Dallas Stars are celebrating 25 years in Texas by hosting the NHL draft for the first time.
The headliner for the home team had a little anniversary of his own: retired franchise icon Mike Modano marking 30 years since he was the No. 1 overall pick by helping introduce the Stars’ first-round pick Derrius Guice Redskins Jersey , Canadian forward Ty Dellandrea, on Friday night.
Sharing the stage with high-scoring Dallas winger Jamie Benn, Modano only had to look up to see his No. 9 hanging from the rafters at the other end of American Airlines Center.
The highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history was the first pick by the Minnesota North Stars in 1988, five years before the franchise moved to North Texas.
”I’ve been thinking about it,” Modano said. ”Didn’t really ring a bell till about a month ago when they started saying some stuff, called me to do some intros. I was like, `Dang, yeah, ’88 Mike McGlinchey Youth Jersey , 2018.’ I was like, `That was quick.”’
Modano watched hockey grow from almost nothing in North Texas, but couldn’t say he was surprised his old franchise got the draft since a new arena that opened in 2001 brought the All-Star game six years later. The 48-year-old figured it was just a matter of time.
”I think a lot of things happened along the way that we didn’t think,” Modano said. ”Just kind of gives people a little bit of knowledge of the town. There’s hockey down in Texas and it’s alive and kicking. Brings a lot of attention to this town for hockey for a good week.”
Modano gigged the current captain of the Stars during their presentation, saying he wasn’t on stage when Benn got drafted and Benn responding that they didn’t bring fifth-round picks to the stage.
Benn, the 2015 Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s points leader, is up to fifth on the club’s career scoring list after getting taken 129th overall in 2007. Benn’s rookie season was Modano’s last in Dallas.
”We worked on that for a little bit,” Modano said with a smile.
Dellandrea, the 13th overall pick Jarvis Landry Jersey , was 10 when Modano retired in 2011 after one season with Detroit. Modano debuted as an 18-year-old with the North Stars and spent 20 seasons combined in Minnesota and Dallas. His American records are 557 goals and 1,359 points.
”I might have been a little young,” said the 17-year-old Dellandrea, who spent the past two seasons with Flint of the Ontario Hockey League. ”But both of them have been tremendous role models to look up to as a young hockey player.”
Now one of them is a teammate.
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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers would welcome the return of tight end Antonio Gates following the serious knee injury sustained by Hunter Henry last week.
Rivers endorsed the idea of re-signing Gates, who is a free agent after playing all 15 seasons of his record-setting career for the Chargers, but said the decision would be up to general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Anthony Lynn.
”I would always be excited if he walked back in the door, obviously. Certainly, he would get my vote,” Rivers said Tuesday.
Gates would be a logical fit to help replace Henry Jaire Alexander Jersey Youth , who is expected to miss the upcoming season because of a torn ACL he sustained in practice. Henry had emerged as a top target for Rivers over his first two seasons with 81 receptions for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns, contributing to the team’s decision not to bring back Gates.
Gates caught 87 of his 114 touchdown receptions from Rivers, the second-most by a quarterback-receiver combination in NFL history behind the 112 touchdown passes Peyton Manning threw to Marvin Harrison for Indianapolis. Gates has the most touchdown receptions by a tight end in NFL history to go along with his franchise-record 927 receptions and 11,508 yards receiving.
The absence of Henry leaves Virgil Green as the only tight end currently on the roster that has caught a pass in an NFL game. Behind Green, who signed with the Chargers as a free agent from Denver in April, are second-year players Sean Culkin and Braedon Bowman and rookies Cole Hunt and Ben Johnson.
”It will look different without Hunter in there, but thankfully we have another 10 practices or so, counting the mini-camp Devin Hester Jersey , to continue to shape the offense for who we’re going to be,” Rivers said.
Rivers had been in contact with Gates since Henry tore his ACL, declining to discuss the specifics of their conversations.
”If something were to happen down the road, he wouldn’t have wanted it to come that way with Hunter’s absence,” Rivers said.
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