Dallas Stars Captains: Top Five In Franchise History

Mar 10, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the retired numbers of former Dallas Stars players Bill Masterton (19) and Bill Goldsworthy (8) and Neal Broten (7) and Mike Modano (9) before the game between the Stars and the Columbus Blue Jackets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Neal Broten:

To make things clear, the Dallas Stars have only seen the likes of six captains since transitioning to Texas. But nonetheless, we are ranking the top five, starting with Neal Broten.

To be perfectly fair, Broten did not spend much time as captain of the Stars. After the team moved in 1993, Broten took the “C” in 1994. He would only wear it until February 1995 when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils.

But nonetheless, Broten had a long tenure with the Stars organization, the majority of it being with the Minnesota North Stars. He spent 13 seasons with the North Stars team, joining the club in 1980 and sticking with them through the relocation.

He was not known for his size or physicality, standing at 5-9 and weighing in around 175 pounds. But his offensive abilities were stellar. Through his entire tenure with the Stars organization, Broten posted 274 goals and 867 points in 992 games. With the Dallas Stars club, Broten put up 56 points in 96 games before being shipped to New Jersey.

A memorable moment in Broten’s career was fighting “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky. The fight took place in the middle of a contest between the North Stars and Edmonton Oilers. But perhaps his most famous moment was when he became the first American-born player to score 100 points in a season. He did that in 1986 as a member of the North Stars.

Though he was only with the Dallas Stars for a year and a half, Neal Broten left a lasting impact on the franchise. As a result, his #7 is one of the four retired numbers hanging in the rafters of the AAC by the Stars organization (pictured above).

Next: #4 Mike Modano