No. 19 - Bill Masterton

Jan. 17, 1987

 

Bill Masterton was a member of the Minnesota North Stars inaugural NHL team in 1967-68, recording 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 38 contests before suffering a fatal head injury in a game on January 13, 1968.

A native of Winnipeg, Man., Masterton attended the University of Denver where he played for three seasons with the Pioneers in the Western Collegiate Hockey Assoication (WCHA), winning two National Championships in 1960 and 1961. The first player to sign with the new Minnesota club, Masterton made his NHL debut in the team's inaugural game on October 11, 1967 against the St. Louis Blues, scoring the first goal in franchise history. In a game against the Oakland Seals on January 13, 1968, Masterton suffered a severe head injury when his head hit the ice after being checked. The 29-year-old would eventually succumb to his injury as he passed away just two days later on January 15. In his memory, the Professional Hockey Writers' Association created the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1968, an award presented annually to the "National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." Masterton's number 19 has never been worn by another player in franchise history, and was retired by the organization on January 17, 1987.

 

No. 8 - Bill Goldsworthy

Feb. 15, 1992

 

Bill Goldsworthy began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in 1964, appearing in 33 regular-season games and earning 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) over parts of three seasons with the Bruins before he was selected by the Minnesota North Stars 62nd overall in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.

Goldsworthy would make a name for himself in the NHL with the North Stars through goal-scoring and the invention of his signature goal celebration, the Goldy Shuffle. Goldsworthy registered five 30+ goal seasons in his career, all coming while he was in Minnesota. The native of Waterloo, Ont. was the first player from a post-1967 expansion club to reach the 200 and 250-goal mark. He went on to eclipse the 500-point plateau during the 1976-77 season to become the first player in Minnesota North Stars history to accomplish the feat. Goldsworthy finished his 10-season career with the North Stars in 1977. Over that span, he registered 267 goals, 239 assists and 506 points in 670 regular-season games. He currently ranks fifth all-time in goals (267), sixth in game-winning goals (34), 10th in points (506) and third in shots on goal (2,237). Goldsworthy was also named an All-Star four times during his career (1970, 1972, 1974 and 1976). In recognition of his accomplishments, Goldsworthy's number 8 was retired by the organization on February 15, 1992. Goldsworthy passed away on March 29, 1996 at the age of 51 due to complications from AIDS.

 

No. 7 - Neal Broten

Feb. 7, 1998

 

Following an NCAA Championship at the University of Minnesota and a gold medal at Lake Placid as part of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, Neal Broten began his NHL career with a bang, being named the franchise's Rookie of the Year after setting team records that still stand for most goals (38), assists (60) and points by a rookie (98) in the 1981-82 season.

Sixteen seasons later, Broten retired as the club's all-time leader in games played (992), assists (593) and points (867) and is fourth in team annals in goals (274). The team's Most Valuable Player in 1984 and 1986, Broten participated in the NHL All-Star Game in 1983 and 1986. In that 1985-86 campaign, he became the first American-born player to record 100 points (105) and set the current club mark for most assists in a season with 76. Moving with the team to Texas in 1993, Broten scored the first-ever goal in Dallas Stars history on October 5, 1993 against Detroit. Broten's number 7 was retired by the Stars on February 7, 1998 and he was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.

 

No. 9 - Mike Modano

March 8, 2014

 

Mike Modano, the greatest American-born hockey player in NHL history, played 21 season in the NHL and is the all-time franchise leader in nearly every category, including games played (1,459), goals (557), assists (802), points (1,359), short-handed goals (29), game-winning goals (92) and power-play tallies (156).

A seven-time NHL All-Star, 2014 Hockey Hall of Fame class member and United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Modano is also the American-born NHL record holder in goals (561) and points (1,374). Instrumental in helping the Stars capture the 1999 Stanley Cup championship, the Livonia, Mich. native also skated for Team USA at the Olympic Games on three separate occasions, winning the silver medal at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. Modano also captured the gold medal at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and was captain of the United States squad at the 2005 World Cup. Drafted first overall in 1988 by the Minnesota North Stars, Modano was honored on March 8, 2014 as the greatest player to wear a Stars uniform, by retiring his iconic number 9.

 

No. 26 - Jere Lehtinen

Nov. 24, 2017

 

A three-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's top defensive forward, Jere Lehtinen spent his entire 14-season NHL career in Dallas where he recorded 514 points (243-271=514) in 875 career regular-season games.

Lehtinen's No. 26 was the fifth sweater to be retired by the franchise and the third since the team moved to Texas. Lehtinen joined Neal Broten (No. 7), Bill Goldsworthy (No. 8), Mike Modano (No. 9) and Bill Masterton (No. 19) as the only players in franchise history to have their number retired.

 

No. 56 - Sergei Zubov

Jan. 28, 2022

 

A three-time NHL All Star and Second Team All Star, and two-time Stanley Cup champion, Sergei Zubov is the franchise leader among defensemen in numerous statistical categories including points (549), goals (111), assists (438), games played (839), power play goals (60), plus/minus (+103) and shots on goal (1,694).

Zubov's No. 56 was the sixth sweater to be retired by the franchise and fourth since the team moved to Texas. Zubov joined Neal Broten (No. 7), Bill Goldsworthy (No. 8), Mike Modano (No. 9), Bill Masterton (No. 19) and Jere Lehtinen (No. 26) as the only players in franchise history to have their number retired.