Ed Belfour is most definitely a proud Texan.
DALLAS - Before making his way to center ice for a ceremonial puck drop on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center, former Stars goaltender Ed Belfour spent a few minutes fielding questions from members of the media.
Belfour, 58, was in the house in conjunction with his induction into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame on Sunday, alongside former head coach Ken Hitchcock.
“It’s always amazing to come back here, come down to the arena, it just gives you the goosebumps, the chills, and I always love that feeling. It’s been a real special time. I’ve got my mom and dad here, so that’s really important for me,” said Belfour. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame here is just amazing. Winning the Stanley Cup here in ‘99 and now being inducted into the Hall of Fame, being recognized for our accomplishments, my accomplishments, it’s just a wonderful feeling.”
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Belfour reflected on his arrival in Dallas in 1997 following a lengthy tenure with Chicago and a brief stop in San Jose.
And there’s no denying his genuine love and appreciation for the Lone Star State, which he still calls home.
“Coming to Texas, it was a wonderful place to be at the time when the Stars came. We were out in the community a lot. I was involved in charity stuff, as the Dallas Stars were right from the beginning. That was special. I was always involved in Make-A-Wish. The community here just embraced us, like right from the start,” shared Belfour, who spent five years with the Stars. “Of course we miss the old Reunion Arena… The atmosphere there, the fans on top of you, the fans are amazing. I’m an outdoors guy, so I always loved fishing and hunting and stuff you can do here in Texas. The people here are so friendly and down to earth and very welcoming. I just love it. I’m still here. I live in McKinney. It was just an amazing time to come here.”
The Manitoba native, who was previously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, has high hopes for this edition of the Stars.
There's nothing he'd like more than to see this season culminate in an epic championship celebration next summer.
"I wish the best for the fellas. They’ve got a lot of talent here, a lot of skill, and they've got a great goalie in net, so they’ve a lot of of good quality in the team and great coaching, and I think they’ve got the same chance as everyone else does," said Belfour. "They’ve been getting better every year, and that’s important. You have to keep building and getting better. They’ve been doing that, so if all those things line up, they’ve got a great chance."
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