The Dallas Cowboys have the Ring of Honor. The Dallas Mavericks listed every single player to dawn the Mavericks jersey on their court last season. The Texas Rangers have a statue for Nolan Ryan and a stellar Hall of Fame and finally, the Dallas Stars join the rest of the major franchises in the Dallas market by naming their first two inductees into the Stars Hall of Fame. The captain of the 1999 Stanley Cup Champions Derian Hatcher and general manager Bob Gainey.
Derian Hatcher was selected eighth overall in the 1990 NHL Draft while the franchise was based in Minnesota and would go on to become the first-ever American-born captain to hoist the Stanley Cup in 1999. Hatcher wore a Stars sweater for 827 regular-season games and would lead the Stars to seven Stanley Cup Playoff appearances along with two President Cup trophies.
From a fan’s perspective, the writing was on the wall for Hatcher to be in the Stars Hall of Fame. Flashback to the Sergei Zubov number retirement ceremony last season. There are few moments that stand out at those types of ceremonies like when Hatcher’s name was announced and he walked onto the ice. The love and appreciation Hatcher received from the crowd was not only warranted but beyond deserved for what he provided for Dallas hockey fans.
Bob Gainey joins Hatcher in the Stars Hall of Fame as an architect. Gainey served in the Stars front office from 1990-2003. He would serve in numerous roles but most importantly as the Stars general manager starting in 1996 acquiring names like Joe Nieuwendyk, Brett Hull, Ed Belfour, and Sergei Zubov. Gainey was instrumental in the Stars Stanley Cup run and left a legacy that general managers aspire to.
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