If reports are accurate, Mike Modano will officially announce that he’s a member of the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. It’s not a done deal until the words leave his chipmunk-toothed mouth, but my guess is Dallas Stars fans will be doing some grief eating this morning anyway.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press broke the story.
“Big announcement Thursday,” Modano sent in a text Monday.
Modano, 40, wouldn’t reveal his hand. But a source with knowledge of the decision, who did not want to upstage the announcement, confirmed that the Westland native was coming home after 20 seasons with the Dallas franchise, where he became the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history.
General manager Ken Holland would only say that he was hopeful.
I’m not sure I agree with the author’s assessment that Modano “instantly transforms them into a team with three legitimate scoring lines” simply because I’m not completely convinced that he’s a legitimate scorer anymore. Still, if that ends up being the price, then you cannot really blame the Red Wings for taking the gamble. Make no mistake about it, though, with his name recognition and advanced age (he’s currently 40), this would be a gamble.
We’ll bring you word once/if it becomes official, but consider this a very reliable rumor at this point.