Hockey history: Documenting the Minnesota North Stars

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota is known as the home of many things, ranging from Post-it notes, Mayo Clinic, Prince and Target. But it’s also known as the State of Hockey.

Minnesota has a complicated history with its connection to the popular sport.

Hockey’s home

Ask people: What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “hockey”? Fans of a certain age will say “The Minnesota Wild.” But fans of a different age will say “The North Stars.” The history of the franchise is as complicated as the Minnesota Lakers, which eventually relocated to Los Angeles.

Many stories have been told through the years of sports teams relocating to a different city for various reasons. Due to the popularity of the NFL, the story of the Baltimore Colts relocating to Indianapolis is cemented in the minds of anyone who is a fan of NFL history. This has spawned many documentaries that touch on the emotions of the human spirit and the longing for what was.

Hockey also has stories of teams that have come and gone and relocated. Some stories have faded into history.

That’s not the case with the Minnesota North Stars.

Many people outside of Minnesota probably aren’t familiar with their story. This is where sports historian and author Dan Gaisbauer enters the picture.

By day, he is a seventh-grade teacher in Inver Grove Heights. But when he is not teaching, he is pursuing his passion, telling stories of Minnesota sports.

Under the name Dan Whenesota, the history fan and author lends his voice to the not-so-great moments in sports history.

His published works include, “History of Heartbreak: 100 Events That Tortured Minnesota Sports Fans.” The book ranks the worst moments – from the Twins getting swept in the postseason, to the Minnesota Vikings losing the NFC Championship Game in 1998. As with many sports stories, they are told in the form of books to documentaries.

Uncovering history

During the pandemic, many people spent their time trying to find new hobbies.

Meanwhile, Dan spent most of his time trying to find new stories to tell, and the topic of the North Stars came about. He says he was inspired by a documentary created about the California Golden Seals – a former professional ice hockey team that lasted just under a decade. 

“The California Seals came into the league the same year the North Stars did,” Dan told FOX 9. “I thought someone should really make a documentary about the history of the North Stars,well… Why not me?”

During his time staying at home, Dan dove head first into the history of the team, their bouts in the postseason during their time in Minnesota and their controversial exit to Dallas, Texas.

He says even being the sports enthusiast he is, he was surprised to learn some facts about history that were not known to him. One example is the timing of business deals that could have come to fruition and possibly changed history.

“In the early 1980s, the Gund Brothers, who owned the North Stars at the time, had the opportunity to get an NBA franchise… And they were interested at first, but they turned it down because they thought the franchise fee was too expensive.”

In the end, the Timberwolves eventually came to town, and the Stars said farewell to Minnesota a short time later.

However, hockey fans would not have to wait too long for a team to call their own, as the Minnesota Wild came into existence at the turn of the century.

As with any franchise that starts anew, fans will either embrace the team or long for the team of yesterday. Many sports teams have celebrated the past with “throwback jerseys,” and the Wild are no exception. The team has donned the colors of the North Stars (green and white) and fans have enjoyed the nod to history.

“I know a lot of us old fans were kind of hanging onto the North Stars, but I love the fact they are reaching back into that history right now, and the throwback uniforms are seemingly pretty popular with people,” said Dan.

This is a part of the documentary Dan insists was crucial to bridge the gap between the team of old and the team of now.

His documentary also dove into his quest to find a significant spot some Minnesotans might not know existed, Center Ice for the former Met Center in Bloomington.

“There are no markers on that property where the North Stars played, even though they played there longer than the Twins and the Vikings,” he says.

Using GPS technology, Dan used coordinates to find the location of center ice. This search led him to a parking lot not far from the Mall of America.

As any faithful fan would do, Dan marked this spot and posed for a photograph with it to preserve the location.

He hopes actions like this will inspire permanent markers to be displayed, similar to ones in the Mall of America right now. Anyone visiting the Mall of America will find markers dedicated to Metropolitan Stadium, including the location of the 50-yard line for Vikings games and the spot where Harmon Killebrew hit the longest home run at the Stadium. 

Whether you are a fan of hockey, a fan of Minnesota sports or a fan of history, this documentary has something for everyone. While Dan is not sure what his next side project will be, you can rest assured he will take his time using his craft to tell more stories worth sharing.

You can watch all four parts of Dan’s documentary below: