The Stars played their first game in Dallas on October 5, 1993, a 6 -- 4 win against the Detroit Red Wings. In that game, Neal Broten scored the first Stars goal in Dallas. Dallas was an experiment for the NHL. At that time, the Stars would be one of the three southern-most teams in the NHL, along with the newly created Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers as the NHL 's first real ventures into southern non-traditional hockey markets. Though the Stars were relatively still unknown, word of the team spread rapidly, and the immediate success of the team on the ice, as well as Mike Modano 's career best season (50 goals, 93 points) helped spur the team 's popularity in Dallas. The Stars set franchise bests in wins (42) and points (97) in their first season in Texas, qualifying for the 1994 playoffs. The Stars further shocked the hockey world by sweeping the St. Louis Blues in the first round, but lost to the eventual Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks in the second round. The Stars ' success in their first season, along with American superstar Mike Modano 's spectacular on ice performances would be an integral part of the Stars ' eventual franchise success in the immediate years to come. The almost immediate success of the Stars was also helped by a long history of second tier hockey in the area. The minor league Central Hockey League had two teams in the area, the Fort Worth Texans and the Dallas Blackhawks for three decades before the Stars arrival.
when did the dallas stars come to texas
1993