The Minnesota North Stars

Minnesota North Stars

The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...

 were an American professional ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 team based in Bloomington, Minnesota

Bloomington, Minnesota

Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...

, a city in the U.S. metropolitan statistical area

United States metropolitan area

In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...

 of Minneapolis – St. Paul – Bloomington, Minnesota–Wisconsin. The team joined the NHL in 1967

1967 NHL expansion

The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...

 as an expansion team

Expansion team

An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...

 with five other teams; the Cleveland Barons

Cleveland Barons (NHL)

The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...

, another 1967 NHL expansion team, were merged with the North Stars in the 1978–79 season. The North Stars played in the Stanley Cup Finals

Stanley Cup Finals

The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...

 twice: as the Prince of Wales Conference champions in the 1980–81 season, and in the 1990–91 season after winning the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, or simply the Campbell Bowl, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. It is named after Clarence S. Campbell, who served as President of the NHL from to . The trophy itself is constructed of sterling silver, crafted in...

, but lost in both Finals. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center. The team relocated to Dallas, Texas in 1993, after former owner Norman Green announced that he was moving the team to Dallas's Reunion Arena

Reunion Arena

Reunion Arena was an indoor arena, in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas . It held 18,293 for basketball and 17,001 for ice hockey.It was demolished in November 2009 and the site was cleared by the end of the year.-History:...

 in search of a better economic situation, and are now known as the Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

. The North Stars played in the Norris Division

Norris Division

The NHL's Norris Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division moved to the Clarence Campbell Conference in 1981, with the Detroit Red Wings being the only member to remain from the previous season. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. The...

 of the Clarence Campbell Conference in the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL) in their last season

1992–93 Minnesota North Stars season

The 1992–93 Minnesota North Stars season was the North Stars' 26th and final season of the franchise in Minnesota. The team finished in fifth place in the Norris Division, with 82 points , missing the playoffs...

. There were 16 head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

es for the North Stars team.

The North Stars' first head coach and general manager

General manager

General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...

 was Wren Blair

Wren Blair

Wren Blair is a former Canadian ice hockey coach. He was head coach of the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1970. He was also the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins from July 1975 to December 1976...

, who coached for the first three seasons, and was the North Stars' general manager until 1974; Jack Gordon

Jack Gordon (ice hockey)

Jack Gordon is a former Canadian ice hockey manager, coach and player. Gordon played 36 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers...

, Lou Nanne

Lou Nanne

Louis Vincent Nanne is a retired ice hockey defenceman and general manager who has made significant contributions to hockey in the United States.- Early life :...

, and Bob Gainey

Bob Gainey

Robert Michael "Le Capitaine" Gainey is the former executive vice president and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He is also a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Canadiens from 1973 until 1989...

 were also the general manager of the North Stars during their tenures as head coach. Nine of the first twelve North Stars head coaches lasted less than two complete seasons, while ten of the first twelve head coaches have spent their entire NHL head coaching careers with the North Stars. Gordon was the first North Stars head coach to have coached more than two complete seasons, with four.

Several head coaches have had multiple tenures with the North Stars. Glen Sonmor

Glen Sonmor

Glen Sonmor is a former professional hockey player, scout and coach.-Early life:In high school, Sonmor played for Moose Jaw and was a multi-sport star; playing point guard in basketball, quarterback in football and left wing in hockey, as well as pitching in semi-pro baseball...

 served three terms as North Stars head coach. He is the North Stars' all-time leader for the most regular-season games coached, regular-season game wins, regular-season points

Point (ice hockey)

Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

, playoff games coached, and playoff-game wins. Sonmor's first term lasted five seasons, the longest duration for one North Stars head coach term; his last term lasted two games, which was the shortest tenure. Blair, Gordon and Charlie Burns

Charlie Burns

Charles Frederick Burns is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played 749 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Oakland Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Minnesota North Stars...

 each served two terms as the North Stars' head coach. None of their second terms were winning seasons.

Burns, Ted Harris, Parker MacDonald

Parker MacDonald

Calvin Parker MacDonald was a professional ice hockey left winger who played for a number of NHL teams in his 18 year career. He later coached the Minnesota North Stars and the Los Angeles Kings.-Playing career:...

, Nanne, and Murray Oliver

Murray Oliver

Murray Clifford Oliver is a retired Canadian ice hockey centre.Oliver began his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings. He would also play with the Boston Bruins, While in Boston, Oliver centered the B.O.W. line with wingers John Bucyk & Tommy Williams, where he starred as a...

 had once played for the North Stars; Burns is the only person to have been a player-coach

Player-coach

A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....

 for the North Stars, having done so in the 1969–70 season. 1980 U.S. Olympic "Miracle on Ice"

Miracle on Ice

The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...

 coach Herb Brooks

Herb Brooks

Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...

, who coached the North Stars in the 1987–88 season, is the only North Stars head coach to have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame

Hockey Hall of Fame

The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...

 as a builder; Harry Howell and Gainey were inducted as players. Sonmor and Gainey are the only head coaches to reach the Stanley Cup Finals with the North Stars, in the 1981

1981 Stanley Cup Finals

-References:...

 and 1991 Finals

1991 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1991 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup victory. As of 2011, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the...

 respectively. Gainey was the last head coach of the North Stars; he coached the franchise until the 1995–96 season.

Key

General

#	Number of coaches
*	Spent entire NHL coaching career with the North Stars
†	Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...  as a builder
Achievements	Achievements during their North Stars head coaching tenure

Regular-season

GC	Games coached	T	Ties = 1 point
W	Wins = 2 points	PTS	Points Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
L	Losses = 0 points	Win%	Winning percentage Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...

Playoffs

PGC	Games coached
PW	Wins
PL	Losses
PWin%	Winning percentage

Head coaches

#	Name		GC	W	L	T	PTS	Win%	PGC	PW	PL	PWin%	Achievements	Reference
1	*	–	84	30	38	16	76	.452	14	7	7	.500
2			35	6	23	6	18	.257	—	—	—	—
—	*	–	63	18	27	18	54	.429	—	—	—	—
3	*		44	10	22	12	32	.364	6	2	4	.333
4	*	–	251	105	101	45	255	.508	25	11	14	.440
5			61	20	30	11	51	.418	—	—	—	—
—	*		38	11	22	5	27	.355	—	—	—	—
—	*		42	12	28	2	26	.310	—	—	—	—
6	*

}
|179
|48
|104
|27
|123
|.344
|2
|0
|2
|
|
|
|-
|7
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|
|32
|6
|23
|3
|15
|.234
|—
|—
|—
|—
|
|
|-
|8
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|
|29
|7
|18
|4
|18
|.310
|—
|—
|—
|—
|
|
|-
|9
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|
|11
|3
|6
|2
|8
|.364
|—
|—
|—
|—
|
|
|-
|10
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|–
|352
|155
|125
|72
|382
|.543
|38
|21
|17
|.553
|1980–81 Prince of Wales Conference champions
|
|-
|11
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|
|37
|18
|12
|7
|43
|.581
|9
|4
|5
|.444
|
|
|-
|12
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|–
|93
|42
|39
|12
|96
|.516
|16
|7
|9
|.438
|
|
|-
|—
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|
|67
|22
|35
|10
|54
|.403
|9
|5
|4
|.556
|
|
|-
|13
|
|–
|158
|68
|72
|18
|154
|.487
|5
|2
|3
|.400
|
|
|-
|—
|style="background-color:#ddffdd"|*
|
|2
|0
|1
|1
|1
|.250
|—
|—
|—
|—
|
|
|-
|14
|style="background-color:#FFE6BD"|†
|
|80
|19
|48
|13
|51
|.319
|—
|—
|—
|—
|
|
|-
|15
|
|–
|160
|63
|77
|20
|146
|.456
|12
|4
|8
|.333
|
|
|-
|16
|
|–
|244
|95
|119
|30
|220
|.451
|30
|17
|13
|.567
|1990–91 Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl

The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, or simply the Campbell Bowl, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. It is named after Clarence S. Campbell, who served as President of the NHL from to . The trophy itself is constructed of sterling silver, crafted in...

winner
|
|}

Head coaches with multiple tenures

Name		GC	W	L	T	PTS	Win%	PGC	PW	PL	PWin%	Reference
*	–; –	147	48	65	34	130	.442	14	7	7	.500
*	;	86	22	50	14	58	.337	6	2	4	.333
*	–;	289	116	123	50	282	.488	25	11	14	.440
*	–; ;	421	177	161	83	437	.519	47	26	21	.553