Tom Gaglardi, who acquired the NHL’s Dallas Stars out of bankruptcy last year, is aiming to revitalize the Stars as a young, super-fast team without legendary names. (Jamie Benn, anyone? Loui Eriksson?) But one big name Gaglardi would like to see throw in with the franchise is Mike Modano, who hung up his skates last year after two standout decades with the Stars. “Mike’s got a standing offer from us” to join the team in the front office, Garglardi said Friday during a get-acquainted visit to D World Headquarters. “Hopefully he acts on that.” So, what’s the holdup? Modano’s still grappling with retirement, Gaglardi explained — and may even be considering playing again.
Gaglardi, a Canadian businessman who owns hotels and restaurants, and Jim Lites, the Stars’ president and CEO, who also visited D, conceded that Dallas is a “tarnished brand” in the wake of former owner Tom Hicks’s tenure. But they see the team turning around in less than three years. Their goals on the business side: putting “18,000 [fans] in the building” every game, and climbing to eighth or ninth place (from 26th currently) in the league in terms of gate revenue. Premier suite sales at American Airlines Center have picked up dramatically in recent months, they added, as the Stars continue to battle for a Western Conference playoff spot. Gaglardi’s spending about a third of his time these days trying to make all this happen, recently snapping up a condo at the W Residences in Victory Park.
