Ask anyone in a Bloomington dive bar about "Norm" and you’ll likely get a reaction that’s more "spit-take" than "polite conversation." It’s been decades since the Met Center was a pile of rubble. Yet, the Minnesota North Stars remain the ghost that haunts every Wild home game. You see the jerseys everywhere. That specific shade of Kelly green and athletic gold. It isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a sort of collective regional trauma mixed with an undying love for a team that, honestly, wasn't always that great on the ice but was everything to the people in the stands.
Minnesota is the "State of Hockey," but for seven long, cold winters between 1993 and 2000, it was a state without a pro team. That gap created a permanent chip on the shoulder of local fans. When the North Stars left for Dallas, they didn't just take the players; they took a piece of the identity of the Twin Cities.
The Birth of the North Stars (And a Tragedy That Changed Hockey)
Back in 1967, the NHL decided to double in size. It was the "Great Expansion." Minnesota was a no-brainer. The team took its name from the state motto, L'Étoile du Nord. Simple. Elegant. The logo was a stylized "N" with an arrow pointing to a star. It was designed by George Karn, a local artist who also gave the world the Trix Rabbit.
The early years were... well, they were a lot.
Just months into their first season, tragedy struck. On January 13, 1968, Bill Masterton took a hit during a game against the California Seals. He fell backward, his head hitting the ice with a sound that people in the front rows said they’d never forget. Masterton died two days later. He’s still the only player to die from a direct on-ice injury in NHL history. If you wonder why helmets are mandatory today, it’s because of what happened at the Met Center that night.
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Despite the gloom, that 1967-68 squad was scrappy. They pushed the St. Louis Blues to double overtime in Game 7 of the West Finals. They almost made the Stanley Cup Finals in year one.
The Merger and the Glory Years
By the late 70s, things were looking grim financially. The Cleveland Barons were also failing. In a move that would never happen in today’s locked-down corporate NHL, the two teams merged in 1978. It was a talent injection. Suddenly, the North Stars had a roster that didn’t suck.
You had Neal Broten, the Roseau kid who had just won gold with the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team. Then there was Dino Ciccarelli, a guy who played like he had a permanent grudge against every goalie in the league.
The 1981 Brawl and the First Run
In February 1981, the North Stars went into Boston Garden. They hadn't won there in 14 years. It was a house of horrors. Seven seconds into the game, a brawl started. Then another. Then the benches cleared. The first period alone took 91 minutes to play.
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Minnesota lost the game, but they "won" the fight. Coach Glen Sonmor basically said they were done being the league's doormat. That toughness carried them all the way to the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the New York Islanders dynasty, but the city was hooked.
Then came the 1991 run.
Nobody expected it. They were a sub-.500 team in the regular season. But they caught lightning. They took down the Presidents' Trophy-winning Blackhawks. They stunned the Blues. Suddenly, they were in the Finals against Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. They lost in six games, but for one month, the Met Center was the loudest place on Earth.
The "Norm Sucks" Era: Why They Left
If you want to start a fight in St. Paul, just mention Norm Green. He bought the team in 1990. At first, he was the hero who saved them from moving to California. Two years later, he was the villain of the century.
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The reasons for the move to Dallas are messy.
- The Stadium: Green wanted a new arena or a better deal at the Met Center.
- The Soda War: Believe it or not, a deal to move to the Target Center fell apart partly because the North Stars were a Pepsi team and the Target Center was a Coke venue.
- The Lawsuit: There was a sexual harassment lawsuit involving Green, and rumor has it his wife gave him an ultimatum: move the team or get a divorce.
On April 13, 1993, the North Stars played their last home game. Fans wore "Norm Sucks" shirts. They cried. They screamed. And then, the North Star went out.
The Legacy That Refuses to Die
The Dallas Stars eventually won a Stanley Cup in 1999 with Mike Modano—a guy drafted in Minnesota. That hurt. It felt like watching your ex win the lottery with the person they dumped you for.
But look at the Minnesota Wild today. They’ve leaned into the history. Their "Reverse Retro" jerseys use the North Stars colors because they know that’s what the fans want.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a fan of hockey history or just want to understand why Minnesota is so obsessed with a team that's been gone for 30 years, here’s how to dive deeper:
- Visit the Mall of America: Not for the shopping. Go to the parking lot where the Met Center used to stand. There’s a small plaque marking center ice. It’s a weirdly quiet spot in a very loud place.
- Watch the 1981 Boston Brawl: Find the footage on YouTube. It’s a time capsule of a version of hockey that doesn't exist anymore—pure, unadulterated chaos.
- Track down a "North Stars Way" jersey: Don't settle for the modern re-prints. Look for the CCM originals with the 70s-style drop shadows on the numbers.
- Read "History of Heartbreak" by Dan Whenesota: It covers the North Stars’ exit in brutal detail and explains why the wound is still open for so many locals.