In 30 years of Dallas Stars hockey, the team is known for many things: bringing the first southern NHL team to win the Stanley Cup, Mike Modano, and the Mooterus, to name a few.
Here, we will look at one of the most enticing aspects that draw people into the game: fights.
I’m going over some of the most iconic fights and fighters in team history.
New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Chicago
Fresh after the relocation from Minnesota, the rivalry between the North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks carried over to Dallas.
On the last day of 1993, the teams closed out the year with a flood of fights just seven seconds into the game, starting with former NHLers Star Shane Churla and Blackhawks Jocelyn Leimeux.
Even though tensions between the two clubs have vastly dissipated over the past 30 years, this classic ruckus night will always be one Stars fans continue to look back on.
One individual fought after another all that night, with them being divisional rivals the last decade-plus, a night like this with maybe some playoff implications in the future (the Blackhawks did draft Connor Bednard), a night something like this could break out again.
The Forgotten Enforcer
NHL journeyman Bill Huard is quietly one of the toughest guys ever to play the game. While he only played one season with Dallas in 1996, he deserves a mention.
Huard was so tough that he took Bob Probert down to the ice. Probert was widely regarded as the best fighter in NHL history.
Stars/Mighty Ducks 1998 brawls
A game filled with escalating tensions (and a Joe Nieuwendyk four-goal game) spilled over in the game courtesy of Craig Ludwig’elbow. It was Lud’s hit on Temmu Selanne that was the boiling point in a game filled with frustration all game long. It was fight night on a Friday the 13th.
It was a game where Dallas had its speakers cranking The Beastie Boys’ classic hit, (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party), that night. While that fight did not go the way of Darryl Sydor, it is worth noting that Brent Severyn became his Dallas teammate the following year. And nothing says let bygones be bygones, like winning the Stanley Cup together.
Derian Hatcher
Stanley Cup champion captain of the Dallas Stars was one of the toughest players in the league throughout the 90s and 2000s. He plays on defense and is well known for playing physically. Hatcher could make those earth-shattering hits as well as chuck knuckles.
Two of the biggest of Hatcher’s fights were his bouts with power forward Brendan Shanahan. The fight we’ll be looking at took place when the Wings were two-time defending champs. But the Stars were on their way to win a championship of their own—two big guys who dropped their gloves in a split second and put on a show.
Stars and Panthers 2018
One of the biggest fight nights in recent memory for the Stars was when Dallas hosted the Florida Panthers in a game littered with fighting majors and game misconducts.
They are making for a big chunk of 134 PIMs combined between the two clubs.
Then, Stars’ head coach Ken Hitchcock appreciated the response from his guys when many Panthers players got hot.
“This was emotion and feistiness and people angry at each other,” Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. “I think a lot of it started that they thought we hit the goalie, which we didn’t. I think that started the ball rolling. You gotta get on the ride and hope nobody gets hurt.
“If we didn’t wake up and didn’t respond, they would have pushed us out of the building.”
Jamie Benn vs. Miles Wood
There are so many fights from Jamie Benn you could pick: chucking knuckles with Jerome Iginla, Joe Thornton, and Josh Anderson, to name only a few. Today, we’re going with Benn’s tilt against former New Jersey Devils left winger Miles Wood. A fight that had it all: back-and-forth action, length, and a winner. A throwback brawl in an age where fighting and physicality are on the downside
In a game where the Stars were down 3-0, Benn sparked his team by finding a willing combatant for a skirmish that went on for about two minutes. This was the kind of energy play that helped spark Dallas to a playoff berth in 2019.
A pivotal year in franchise history that kicked off four playoff appearances in the last five seasons and counting. That year also marked the end of an era where the Stars missed the playoffs eight out of ten years.
A Texas-sized TKO
Last but certainly not least, Aaron Downey landed the most iconic punch thrown by a Star at the expense of Carolina Hurricanes right winger Jesse Boulerice. After Boulerice got out of position, missing a punch on Downey, the Stars forward took one ring him up and sat him down punch. Immediately, the bout was over.
The aftermath of that shot from Downey led to a broken jaw and a concussion Boulerice suffered, showing just how important it is to have good form in a fight. As well as being sure to land your punches and not put yourself in an awkward position.
Nevertheless, as quickly as it was, it has become one of the most exciting fights in Dallas history.
Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
