Friday, Mike Modano, possibly the greatest American-born hockey player of all-time, announced his retirement from the NHL after 21 seasons. Fittingly, he signed a one-day contract worth $999,999 (he was No. 9) in order to to retire as a member of the Dallas Stars. He had played in 40 games with the Detroit Red Wings this past season; the rest of his career was with the Stars (Minnesota, Dallas)
↵I think ESPN broadcaster Steve Levy said it best, when he said (paraphrasing) that even if Modano had been a Canadian, he would've been one of the best players from that country as well. The 41-year-old was offered a contract to play with the Vancouver Canucks this season, but ultimately decided he was going to hang up his skates for good.
↵The surefire Hall of Famer retires as America's all-time leading scorer in goals (561) and points (1,374). He's also played in 1,499 games, a record for an American-born forward. Modano participated in three Olympics as well. The center was originally the first overall pick of the Minnesota North Stars in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.
↵In his career, he played the Rangers 30 times, scoring eight goals and assisting 17 times. He was a negative-2. He also played the Devils 30 times, scoring seven times and recording eight assists. He was a negative-10 against them in his career. And against the Islanders, 32 games, he scored 14 times and had 15 assists. He was a negative-9.