Peters: Hawks-North Stars alumni highlights

Led by Modano and Chelios, the North Stars and Blackhawks keep it competitive. (Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS — The NHL Stadium Series Alumni Game in Minnesota was unlike any before it. For the first time, the NHL brought back a team that no longer exists — the Minnesota North Stars. The franchise still exists as the Dallas Stars, but there’s still a deep cut from when the team relocated from the Twin Cities back in 1993.

That was all forgotten for a day though as former players from both the North Stars and Minnesota Wild joined forces against their old rivals the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday before the current-day Wild square off against the Blackhawks on Sunday in the weekend’s main event.

Familiar names like Mike Modano, Neal Broten and Dino Ciccarelli returned to the ice in the familiar green, gold and white for the North Stars, while Blackhawks of the distant and more recent past — Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick and Denis Savard — played in the red jerseys they used to wear on the road.

An announced crowd of 37,922 at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota showed that the North Stars are still remembered rather fondly in this city. The home fans also got to see the local club win one last time over their hated rivals. The North Stars/Wild alumni beat Chicago’s old timers 6-4 in a game that had its share of fun moments in a fantastic setting.

Here’s a small sampling of some memorable moments from this most unique alumni game experience.

1. Denis Savard and Dino Ciccarelli open the game by dropping the gloves

The Blackhawks and North Stars had one of the great rivalries of the 1980s. Geographical and divisional foes, the two teams saw enough of each other to build up enough bad blood that fights were frequent and nasty. Would that change 30 years later in an alumni game? Not really.

Minutes into the game, Blackhawks great Denis Savard got tangled up by North Stars great Dino Ciccarelli and Savard responded by dropping the gloves. The crowd went nuts.

The two playfully pawed at each other before Ciccarelli pretended to try to throw Savard over the boards.

The Wild – Blackhawks alumni game starts with a “fight” between Dino Ciccarelli & Denis Savard pic.twitter.com/VdF4H1UlZV

— The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) February 20, 2016

Usually these two were out on the ice with tough guys like Al Secord and Willi Plett doing most of the fighting. Secord wasn’t in the game and Plett wasn’t on the ice. So the skill guys went toe to toe. It’s been a long time since the home fans saw that.

2. Troy Murray’s penalty shot against Gilles Meloche

Gilles Meloche wore his awesome retro goalie mask, which deserves its own spot in this list, but the other thing he brought back was old-school goaltending. You know why goal scoring is down these days? Aside from the pads and goalies getting bigger, the old standup and flop around style made for a little bit more scoring.

With no penalties being served, they went with penalty shots in this game. Blackhawks alum Troy Murray, now the team’s radio analyst, took a slash so he got to shoot. Back in the day, there probably weren’t a ton of penalty shots called, so the 65-year-old Meloche played it aggressively … a little too aggressively.

The former 40-goal scorer didn’t miss.

3. Jimmy Waite robs Mike Modano’s incredible deke

It might have been an alumni game, but this got competitive between the old rivals. When one of the biggest stars of the game, Minnesota North Stars and Dallas Stars legend Mike Modano, got a breakaway, the 45-year-old showed that he still has some great moves. He had Jimmy Waite beat cleanly, but the Blackhawks goalie coach reached back with the goalie paddle to make the save of the game.

Save of the night RT @TheCauldron Blackhawks alumni G Jimmy Waite makes an incredible stick save on Mike Modano pic.twitter.com/LsdLWGTNjX

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) February 21, 2016

Even the home fans had to appreciate that one. Modano couldn’t believe it.

Even though he got robbed on that one, the ex-North Star enjoyed the competitiveness of the game.

“You don’t go hard like that in shinny,” said Modano, who is the all-time leading scorer for American-born players in NHL history and a Hockey Hall of Famer. “Once the lead got a little extended, everyone was playing a little tight. We didn’t want them to come back.”

4. Wild fan favorite Wes Walz scores on an absolute snipe

One of the early fan favorites for the Minnesota Wild after they brought the NHL back to the State of Hockey was Wes Walz. He was one of the several Wild alumni in the game and scored what was probably the game’s best goal.

Waite — now the goalie coach to Corey Crawford and Scott Darling — didn’t have a chance with the shot Walz put on the net.

Nasty Goal by North Stars alum Wes Walz. Love alumni games & those unis are gorgeous! #northstars #blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Ub76Is1Y12

— Joe Buscemi (@JoeyB_1991) February 20, 2016

That one brought some oohs and ahs from the thousands in attendance.

At least Waite has that stop on Modano to brag about with his goalies at the next Blackhawks practice.

5. Just seeing the North Stars jerseys again was special

Seeing the old North Stars jerseys again was a sight to behold. With a color scheme that jersey makers probably wouldn’t use today, it’s easy to forget that sometimes simpler is better. Many of the fans in the stands wearing old North Stars gear, showing just how much of a hold this team still has 26 years after it left for Dallas.

This may have been a cathartic event for those that are still smarting from the team’s departure all these years later.

And not only did they get the old jerseys back, we’ve got to get another look at Gilles Meloche’s old school bucket.

Lou Nanne, a former North Stars coach and general manager who remains a local icon in the state of Minnesota, took a lot of pleasure in seeing that old logo and jersey again.

“I keep hoping that we [see it more],” Nanne said in the victorious locker room after the game. “It’s such an integral part of the local hockey culture. People love it.”

The fans definitely loved what they saw Saturday afternoon. It made for a great atmosphere, which made it extra special for the players, too.

“It’s nothing you wouldn’t have expected,” Modano said of the fan turnout and reaction. “They’re great fans, passionate people and loyal.”

It was a day North Stars fans probably never expected to get to, but they certainly made the most of it.

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