[Updated] Remembering 10 years ago today: The Dallas Stars win the Stanley Cup
[Updated with highlights of the game after the jump.]
I'll never forget the night of June 19, 1999. The Stars led the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in the Stanley Cup finals and game six was the most exciting yet. Neither Hasek nor Belfour refused to budge, with both making incredible save after save as the game wore on into the night.
We had just returned from a long road trip that evening, and I was actually watching the game upstairs in our loft when the third overtime began. I remember the feeling of having my heart nearly stop every time the Sabres fired a puck on net, of how the frenetic action never ceased as the game kept going and going. I was restless and probably doing about three other things at the same time while watching the game, since that is just what I do when I get anxious.
When the winning goal was scored, it happened very quickly and suddenly and came off an innocent looking play. No odd man rush to get amped up for, no breakaway. Just some gritty work down low in the zone, a shot from the point and Brett Hull being in the perfect spot at exactly the right time.
I'll never forget hearing Ralph Strangis' strained voice as he screamed into his mic: "The Stars win the Stanley Cup! The Stars win the Stanley Cup! Yes! Yes! Yes!" Not the most classic of calls, but his emotional cries were echoed in the hearts of Stars fans all across the world.
I flew down the stairs. I can't even tell you if I touched a step. I was screaming, laughing, crying. The dog was barking and my dad, my brother and I rejoiced in a feeling every sports fan waits their entire life to feel: The elation of having your team win the championship.
That was such a great season and such a hard fought playoffs that I truly believe that the Stars not only earned that Stanley Cup but they deserved it. Seeing Craig Ludwig, after so many years, lifting that Cup over his head with nothing by joy on his face. Watching Eddie Belfour finally, finally prove once and for all that he is one of the best goalies to ever play the game and yes, he can lead a team to the ultimate victory.
I'll never forget that night and those memories will stay with for the rest of my life. I'd never experienced emotion like that in relation to sports and looking back, it's as if I felt like I was lifting that Cup right alongside Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen. I had been through all the ups and downs of every single game of every season since the Stars came to Dallas, I felt the hard work and sacrifice needed to make it to the very top.
It saddens me to think that I'll never have a night like that again. Sure, I'll be ecstatic, emotional and joyful when the Stars finally make it back there again.
But it will never feel as pure as it did that night in June ten years ago.
Where were you when the Stars won the Stanley Cup in the wee hours of June 20th? What were you doing when you saw Brett Hull score the winning goal? And did you feel as I did, that magic like this could never happen again?
Highlights of the game after jump.
Highlights courtesy of DallasStars.com.
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I remember that night well
My wife (who was my girlfriend at the time) watched the game with me over at my mom’s house and we had intended to go over to a party later.
‘Intended’ being the key word.
After regulation ended, she headed over to the party and I stayed behind because I didn’t want to miss a potential Cup winning goal. I told her I’d head over there as soon as the game ended one way or the other.
Oh yeah, they didn’t have cable at the the party, so my gf was calling me for game updates it seemed like every 10 minutes.
Of course, one OT turns into 3OT’s.
But as soon as Hull scored, I screamed to my mom in the kitchen, “HULL SCORED!!!! THEY WON IT!!!!”
Then my gf called because apparently they had the game on radio over there. Told her I was so elated but exhausted that there wasn’t any way I was going to head over there.
And then I called my brother in Australia.
Defending Big D | TheStarsFans | But a Hawks fan since 1989
wow memories
Yeah I was totally running around pumping my fists, trying to be quiet since everyone else in the house was sound asleep! I wanted to wake everyone up – looking back, I should have!!
by matty in dallas on Jun 19, 2009 12:41 PM CDT reply actions
I really was living in my mom’s basement 10 years ago and watching the game on my small 19 inch TV and quietly cheering the Stars on into the wee hours with everyone else in the house asleep… When Hull scored, I did let out a short, spirited YES and then watched with pride as the guys skated around with the Cup.
Hard to believe so much has changed in those 10 years… The internet wasn’t as big as it was now so there wasn’t anyway to announce my feelings to the world other than friends and family the following day… it took me all summer to get my hands on championship gear (a T-shirt, hat and official video) because I was in the middle of small-town Alberta… Hell I always laugh that I had to get the VHS tape because the NHL hadn’t started making DVD copies until the following year.
Honestly I think I’ll enjoy the Stars next Cup even more in a way.. I know a lot more Stars fans that I can share in the joy with… Being older I can truly appriciate how tough it is for a team to win a Cup… As a sports fan I was pretty spoiled in 1999 (Stars, Spurs, Bucs) so I think in a way another Stars Cup would be much more impactful for me.
What a night!!
I was watching the game downstairs in the family room. My 4 year old son and my wife watched regulation with me. My son fell asleep on the couch and my wife couldn’t stand to watch so she went upstairs into the office to kill time on the computer. I didn’t change positions the whole third period while play was on; I didn’t want to be responsible for “giving up” a goal. I would run to the bathroom or stretch during commercials. Of course, I couldn’t move, much less breathe during the three overtimes. My wife would come down in between OTs to check on us then scurry back upstairs before the OT periods began.
When Hull scored, I jumped up, legs numb from being immobile for so long, and almost put my hands thru the glass piece in the ceiling fan. I did knock the fan all over the place as I was jumping up and down. My wife came tearing down the stairs to watch the replays. My son, Alex, woke up when I was screaming and got to see the Boys skate the cup. We all got dressed and drove around Dallas with our Dallas Stars “Nothing Else Matters” car flags flying. We stayed up all night and met the Stars’ plane at DFW as the sun rose. We didn’t get close enough to touch the Cup, but we got to see the Boys carry it off the plane. We went home, exhausted, and slept for a few hours before hitting the souvenir stores to pick up our Stanley Cup Champion gear.
I can’t imagine the next one will be any better, just different. But I can’t wait for that feeling again!!

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