n Hockey League franchises -- the San Antonio Rampage, Houston Aeros and Texas Stars -- as well as two teams in the Central Hockey League. In addition, there are a growing number of youth players, thanks to programs like the Dallas Junior Stars.Much of that growth is attributable to Modano, who will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Oct. 15 in a ceremony in Dallas, along with Stanley Cup champion and NBC hockey analyst Ed Olczyk and New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello."It was a lot of work and there were a lot of things to do, and you were getting pulled in a lot of different directions all the time,Rayban 2110, but there was always a part of me that saw what [Troy] Aikman accomplished here in town and [Roger] Staubach and Nolan Ryan and things like that. Here's an opportunity for me to be that face for hockey. There wasn't anything I turned down if it helped promote the game and the Stars and helped the team in some sense in this city. It wasn't very hard to say yes to."--Mike Modano"He was the poster child for USA Hockey at the time and carried the flag well," former Stars teammate and current GM Joe Nieuwendyk told NHL.com. "He did a lot for hockey in this state. With the success of our team in the late '90s and the ownership take over and the building of StarCenters around town, it really got hockey going in our city and Mike was the face of that."There wasn't anything resembling a hockey culture when Modano arrived. The Michigan native set about changing that."We had to sell the game again," Modano told NHL.com. "We had to get at clientele,RayBan Sale, a fan base. Create a buzz. … We had to do a lot of work in order to make this thing work in Dallas."A lot of that work was laid in Modano's lap. As the best player on the team, he knew it would be his job to go into the community and sell the team and the game. Modano relished the opportunity."It was a lot of work and there were a lot of things to do,Black Pink RayBan Sunglasses, and you were getting pulled in a lot of different directions all the time," he said, "but there was always a part of me that saw what [Troy] Aikman accomplished here in town and [Roger] Staubach and Nolan Ryan and things like that. Here's an opportunity for me to be that face for hockey as well. There wasn't anything I turned down if it helped promote the game and the Stars and helped the team in some sense in this city. It wasn't very hard to say 'Yes' to."Modano said there were a few northern transplants who gave him and the team a bit of a foothold, but the key was getting the new fans into the building."We knew it was more of a spectator sport," he said. "If we could get people in the building and see the excitement and pace of the game, the energy of it, we could hook into a new type of fan base. We felt we did that right off the start. People were hooked. We still have fans from the early days that are still around. Once you get a loyal hockey fan, they're around forever."As Modano worked as hard off the ice as on it, others noticed and followed along."Mike never said 'No' to anybody as far as promoting the game of ice hockey," Ken Hitchcock, who coached the Stars from 1996-2001, told NHL.com. "When I was around him, I never saw him say 'No' to anybody. I think that unselfish attitude really helped grow the game. He, as the face of the franchise, that unselfishness forced other players to do it. It really grew the game in a proper manner. There are a number of players from that group that have iconic stature in that city and that state,Rayban Wayfarer, and I think Mike's unselfishness and willingness to go anywhere to promote the game and sell the game had a huge impact on generations."U.S. HHOFModano was elite on, off the iceBy Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Staff WriterMike Modano became the face of the Dallas Stars off the ice and an elite player on it -- which is why he's being inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. READ MORE › Lamoriello's team-first creed turned NJ into winners Penguins GM Shero