Brett Hull

Anytime you make an "all-time" list of anything sports related, you better have thick skin as a writer.  Comparing players from different generations remains an elusive endeavor and a daunting task. 

How you handicap modern day changes such as nutrition, training, health care, and equipment technology?  What about the infusion of world talent in the NHL game?  How much weight is given to coaching styles and rule changes?

The other day, I happened to blurt out a short joke about the 1980s style of hockey.  I was quickly shot back at by a friend who said, "No man, the 80s are where it's at."

It got me thinking, what decade reigned supreme?

Was one decade more electrifying than the other?  

Or was it just simply a battle between two different styles of hockey?

Many things changed between the 1980s and 1990s in NHL hockey, but can we claim a clear winner?

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When the North Stars moved to the Lone Star state from Minnesota in 1993, many people believed hockey would never work in Big D.

How wrong those people were.

Since their inaugural season, the Stars have been one of the most successful teams in the NHL.

Over the last 18 years, the Stars have won two Presidents' Trophies, seven division championships (two Central, five Pacific), a Stanley Cup in 1999 and have only missed the playoffs four times.

A crucial component to success on the ice is the personnel that skates on it.

The slap shot.

Until the 1950's in the NHL, coaches frowned on the use of the slap shot during games because it was thought to take too long for a player to get it off. Why waste time winding up and allowing defenders and goalies to set up for the shot?

It was thought that there were much better, more effiecient ways to get off a shot at the net, then taking a lengthy wind-up and firing it inaccurately.

It was not the ordinary Saturday night in St. Louis for some folks. Pregame ceremonies were held in honor of Hall of Famer Brett Hull.

The great No. 16 was among fans sporting his trademark smile. It was the man that as a kid made me want to play hockey, the same guy that I watched score huge goals for the St. Louis Blues consistently.

Brett Hull was, for me the and my friends, the player that changed the game with the "Black-n-Gold" EASTON stick.

Obtaining high draft picks is almost a surefire way of drafting high-end talent. However, sometimes consistent drafting throughout every round could do the job as well. Quite a few of the NHL's best players have been drafted outside of the top rounds. A few have been superstars while the others had and are having solid NHL careers.

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The Stars entered the NHL in 1967 as the Minnesota North Stars and moved to Dallas for the 1993-94 season. The original team name was derived from the French saying, "L'Etoile du Nord," which means, "The Star of the North." It was chosen by fans during a public contest.

After the grind of a tough regular season and an unbelievable Stanley Cup playoff, the 2010 campaign officially comes to a close with the NHL Awards coming on Thursday night in Las Vegas. Even though the big trophy has already been awarded there is still plenty of hardware to hand out to some of the league's top talent.

While most hockey players would say that the only trophy they care about is the Stanley Cup, nobody can deny that they wouldn't mind receiving honors for their performances over the course of a season.

I don't know how to tell you this, Mike Modano...but I'll miss you.

You may not believe it, but it's true. I may never have gotten to talk to you, we sure aren't pen pals, and we definitely aren't friends on Facebook, but I'll miss you all the same.

Sidenote: In fact, there's 39 people who share the name "Mike Modano" on Facebook, three or four "Michael" Modanos, and a fan page. If you want to be friends, Captain Dallas, you add me.

It’s hard to determine what’s going on with the Dallas Stars as the regular season draws to a close.