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The Dallas Stars have been a playoff mainstay since their move to Texas in 1994. With one Stanley Cup and two other Final appearances since the move, the Stars have a history of great teams. Combine that with their Minnesota North Stars days and they have a great list of teams. Great players from Mike Modano and Brett Hull to Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin brought these teams on deep playoff runs.
Where do each of these close calls rank? Will there be any Minnesota teams on the list? And just how good was that 1999 Stars squad?
Greatest Stars team of all time: 1998-99
The lone championship in Stars history unsurprisingly takes the top spot on the list. The '98-'99 team also put together the best regular season in team history with 114 points and the President's Trophy for top record. Modano led the team with 34 goals, 47 assists, and 81 points in the regular season. Goalie Ed Belfour posted a ridiculous 1.99 goals-against average in 61 games.
Sabres fans, feel free to skip this paragraph. The Stars started the playoffs with a sweep of the Oilers and a six-game victory over the Blues. After going down 3-2 in the Conference Final to the Avalanche, they won games six and seven to advance. Fast forward to game six of the Cup Final in Buffalo, Hull scored in triple overtime to win the title. His foot was in the crease but because he maintained possession it was a good goal. The Sabres have never been back to the Final. Joe Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP.
#2: 1999-00
The Stars suffered no Stanley Cup hangover, winning their division with another 102 points. Modano scored 81 points again, this time with 38 goals and 43 assists. He was the only Stars player to be named a postseason All-Star despite another great season from Belfour.
The Stars started on a great foot in the playoffs. They beat the Oilers and Sharks, each in five games, to set up another date with the Avalanche. Dallas won a back-and-forth series in game seven to win their second consecutive Conference Championship. They faced the Devils in the Cup Final, losing in six games.
#3: 2023-24
Last season's Stars team was the second-best regular-season team in franchise history. Their 113 points fall behind only the '99 team. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski combined to be one of the best lines in hockey, and Wyatt Johnston had an excellent second season. They were the top team in the West and just one point behind the Rangers for the President's Trophy.
In the playoffs, the Stars started with the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights. They won a close game seven to advance to the second round. Dallas beat the Avalanche in six games but fell in the Conference Final to the Oilers. Despite the disappointing ending, the Stars showed they should be considered a favorite going into 2024-25.
#4: 1997-98
Back to the Modano/Hull era, the '97-'98 Stars laid the groundwork for the following seasons' triumph. Their 109 points were the best in franchise history to that point. They were a team perfectly built for the Dead Puck Era they played in, with Nieuwendyk leading the team with 69 points and Belfour posting a 1.88 goals-against average in 61 games.
They once again breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, beating the Sharks and Oilers in six games apiece. The Stars faced the Red Wings in the Conference Final but lost in six games to the defending champions.
#5: 2019-20
The COVID-shortened season represents the Stars' most recent trip to the Stanley Cup Final. When the season abruptly ended, they were third in the Central Division, way behind the Blues and Avalanche. Tyler Seguin led the regular season with 50 points in 69 games through the regular season.
The Stars earned the three seed in the West through the Round Robin series. They kicked off the elimination portion with a six-game win over the Flames and a seven-game win over the Avalanche. After toppling the favored Golden Knights in five games, they faced the Lightning in the Final. Tampa was a juggernaut that season and rolled in six games.
#6: 2022-23
This season saw another 100+ point team fall in the Conference Final. The Stars were led by 23-year-old Jason Robertson, whose coming-out party featured 43 goals, 63 assists, and 109 points. While Robertson was scoring, 24-year-old Jake Oettinger was manning the net. He finished fifth in Vezina Trophy voting this season.
The playoffs started with a win over the Minnesota Wild in six games. Roope Hintz was amazing in that series, scoring five goals and 12 points in the six games. They beat the Seattle Kraken in a second-round game seven to set up a matchup with the Golden Knights. They lost in six games to the eventual champions.
#7: 1980-81
The first entry from the Minnesota era comes from the first Final appearance in franchise history. Their 87-point regular season was led by 22-year-old Bobby Smith. He scored a team-high 93 points thanks to his 64 assists. They finished third in the Adams Division to make the playoffs.
The North Stars started with a sweep of the Bruins. They scored 20 goals in the three games to advance to the second round. They took down the Sabres in five games and the Flames in six to become an unlikely finalist. Minnesota faced the defending champion Islanders in the Final, falling in five games to give New York its second of four straight titles.
#8: 2002-03
Back to Dallas, the Stars and new coach Dave Tippett made it back to the playoffs after a disappointing '01-'02 campaign. Ken Hitchcock, who won the Cup with Dallas, was fired on the way to a missed playoffs the year before. This team recovered with 109 points thanks to Modano's 85 points and an excellent season from goalie Marty Turco.
The playoffs were not as successful for the Stars. They beat the Oilers in six games in the first round but lost to the Mighty Ducks in the second round. Anaheim would go on to win the West and lose to the Devils in the Final.
#9: 2015-16
The '15-'16 season was very similar to the '02-'03 campaign. After missing the playoffs the prior year, they put up 109 points to make the playoffs comfortably. Jamie Benn scored a career-high 89 points to lead the team. It was more points than he scored the year before when he won the Art Ross for most points in the league the year prior.
Continuing the similarities, they won the first round in six games before falling in the second round. They took down the Wild and lost to the Blues in game seven by a score of 6-1.
#10: 1990-91
The final team on the list went to the Cup Final in 1991. How do they end up in tenth? A points percentage of .425 in the regular season. That is a worse mark than 12 Stars/North Stars teams that did not make the playoffs throughout history. They are the second-worst team to ever make the Final. Dave Gagner led the team with 82 points, and 1980 gold medalist Neal Broten and 20-year-old Mike Modano were also key contributors.
The North Stars beat the 106-point Blackhawks and 105-point Blues to reach the Cup Final. They took down the defending champion Oilers in the Conference Final to set up a date with the Penguins. The mayhem was put to a stop by Mario Lemieux in a six-game defeat.
