Marty Turco and Dallas Stars Hockey

source: DallasNews.com 

To the dismay of a cadre of female fans, Mike Modano’s wedding to singer-actress Willa Ford was no hoax.

ERICH SCHLEGEL / DMN

Stars center Mike Modano (left) and actress-dancer Willa Ford, shown at a Spurs game, wed in Athens, Texas, on Saturday.

The 37-year-old Dallas Stars center and the 26-year-old hyphenate (she’s also a dancer and Playboy model) exchanged vows at sunset Saturday at the East Texas ranch of Mr. Modano’s friends, Dallas businessman Benny Bray and his wife, Stephanie.

Under a veil of secrecy, an intimate group of about 75 guests checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Athens, according to an attendee.

Mr. Modano and Ms. Ford (known to friends by her pre-fame name, Mandy Williford) arranged for a luxury bus to collect the group and bring them to the Brays’ 3,000-acre Barefoot Ranch, formerly a retreat for Dallas tycoon Clint Murchison Sr.

One of FHM magazine’s 100 Sexiest Women, Ms. Ford eschewed the traditional wedding gown in favor of a snug-fitting long cocktail dress for the brief outdoor ceremony.

Mr. Modano, once one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People, looked sunny and summery in a tailored beige tuxedo.

Dallas Stars defenseman Darryl Sydor and retired NHL great Brett Hull served as co-best men.

With those exceptions, the wedding was notable for its absence of teammates, coaches and front-office personnel from the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, back in Dallas, Stars’ spokesman Rob Scichili confirmed that the wedding took place.

The guests were limited to family and very close friends such as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Mr. Modano’s UBS financial guru Charlie McKinney.

Last year, Ms. Ford competed on the third season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Earlier this year, she starred as Anna Nicole Smith in an as-yet-unreleased feature biopic. She and Mr. Modano dated intermittently for four years before he presented her with an engagement ring last Thanksgiving.

Following the ceremony, the new Mr. and Mrs. Modano hosted their guests for a seated dinner and dancing to live music.

Dallas Stars General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today that the club has hired former Stars right wing Rob DiMaio to the scouting staff. DiMaio will have both amateur and professional scouting responsibilities for the club and will begin his role immediately.

“I’m very excited for this opportunity with the Stars,” said DiMaio. “Hockey is my passion and it will be great to contribute to a successful organization like the Dallas Stars. I want to thank Doug Armstrong and the entire Dallas organization for this opportunity.”

source: DallasStars.com

Source: MSNBC

Free-agent defenseman Jon Klemm, a member of two Stanley Cup champion teams in Colorado, has signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings.

Klemm had one goal and two assists in 38 regular-season games for the Dallas Stars last season. He has 42 goals and 100 assists in 751 regular-season games in a 14-year NHL career.

Klemm made his NHL debut during the 1991-92 season for the Quebec Nordiques, who later became the Colorado Avalanche, and also played for the Chicago Blackhawks before joining Dallas during the 2003-04 season.

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HIGHLAND PARK – Source: DallasNews.com - A few weeks ago, Brenden Morrow walked into the Stars’ training complex and asked to speak to the players participating in the club’s developmental camp.

First, though, he requested the coaching staff leave.

He proceeded to spend a few minutes telling the group what it meant to play for the Dallas Stars organization, the passion it takes to succeed at hockey’s highest level and the expectations teammates should have for one another.

“For the young guys, there were some things I wanted them to know,” Morrow said the other day at a coffee house near his home. “I didn’t preach to them, but I told them what it was going to take to get here and stay here.

“I told them things I had learned piece by piece since I’ve been in the league. Things I wished someone had told me when I was a young player.”

This is what you want from your captain. You want your captain to willingly lead the organization. And you want it to come naturally.

For Morrow, it does. For Mike Modano, it wasn’t quite as natural.

This is why Doug Armstrong and Dave Tippett made a good decision when they chose the 28-year-old Morrow to be the team’s captain heading into last season, even though it was handled clumsily. There had to be some tense moments when the Stars named Morrow captain, because, as you might expect, Modano didn’t like the decision.

There was never any problem between Morrow and Modano, who took a couple of golf trips together this off-season. Modano was mad at the organization.

Now, though, we can say it was time for a change.

The Stars had proven veterans in the locker room last season, including a handful of former captains.

But what they needed was a player who would willingly do all of the little things, night after night, that it takes to win hockey games. They needed a guy who wouldn’t mind making his teammates uncomfortable by holding them accountable, publicly and privately, for their performance on the ice.

The Stars begin training camp next month, and Morrow can’t wait. He’s determined to end the Stars’ streak of three consecutive first-round playoff losses.

To do so, he must impose his personality on the team.

This isn’t a knock on Modano, who remains the Stars’ best player even at 36. He’s still among the most electrifying players in the league when his legs feel good and his attitude is right.

Morrow, however, gives the Stars grit. Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday, September 8
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Galleria Dallas Shopping Center 

The 2007 Dallas Stars Ice Breaker celebrates the upcoming hockey season.  This annual event features the Dallas Stars players in an intimate setting allowing fans the opportunity for autographs and photographs.  Bring the entire family for a fun-filled day of shopping, food, skating, and Stars!