It actually did happen! You may remember that I said last month that something really unusual is happening in the DFW sports scene here at the Dallas Observer(Avalanche).
For the first time since 2003, the Dallas Stars of the NHL and the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA have both reached the postseason past the first round in the same season. Without a doubt, the playoff drama will intensify over the next few weeks.
Undoubtedly, that much is true, particularly in relation to the American Airlines Center’s on-ice tenant. Seldom anything can elevate regional emotions and anxiety quite like a series against a fierce adversary.
In the first round of the playoffs, the local team defeated the Vegas Golden Knights, the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Now, they have their sights set on a longstanding rival and, let’s not forget, the 2022 Stanley Cup winners.
For the record, I detest the Avs. The Avalanche owns the distinction of being my least favorite club out of the 32 NHL teams.
That being said, rivalries add an extra layer of enjoyment to sports. A certain intensity is evoked by them. More importantly, though, is that you detest losing to them as much as you like defeating them. In addition, the Avs bring out the best in those of us who have been longtime Dallas Stars supporters.
As I’ve previously stated, until the Stars relocated to Dallas in the fall of 1993, hockey wasn’t really on my radar as a child. I was intrigued as a youngster by this sport played, you know, on ice, in a state where summers are like something Hansel and Gretel could only understand after being pushed into an oven.
I heard there was an ice rink in the Galleria back then, but you went there primarily for Christmas to gawk at that enormous tree or gawk at businesses no youngster had the money to purchase in. I couldn’t just randomly go there to practice my skills on a daily basis.
The ice rink at the former Prestonwood Town Center mall was demolished shortly after the Stars moved to the area. My argument is that when the Stars were new to Dallas, there was almost no ice for hockey around here. Most of us new hockey fans just went to the streets and rollerbladed around pretending to be Mike Modano, instead of sliding and crashing on ice.
Naturally, the pro team’s on-ice performance at the time contributed to this ardor. The Stars of the late 1990s were a formidable team with A-List players, led by Modano and fellow all-stars Derian Hatcher, Guy Carbonneau, Brett Hull, Sergei Zubov, Joe Nieuwendyk, and goalkeeper Ed Belfour.
