As the playoffs get closer and the regular hots up, the numerous Low Cost Franchises start to picture Stanley Cup glory and the chance of lifting the trophy. We will glance at these Franchises and discover how they started from a Franchise For Sale, displayed across the sector to the great Low Cost Franchises of the NHL today. The NHL franchise market over many years has been top-heavy for numerous years from numerous clubs in financial problems, to a lot of clubs being able to land million dollar players. At this present moment the NHL franchise market is much more equal as great amounts of costs are being held back within, as the crisis has hit the sporting market. All of the Low Cost Franchises are cutting back and running with what they have, which is having a franchise that promotes the idea of a Franchise For Sale in the market. Numerous backers for numerous years have viewed their franchise as a Home Based Franchise, they work with their team everyday and they take it home with them and wherever they go. This is much like any Home Based Franchise in the present situation and as a result beneficial to a prospective backer looking for a Franchise For Sale in the NHL sector. The investor will have the self-assurance that the team has been well structured and looked after as if it were a Home Based Franchise.

Here is the story of an NHL Low Cost Franchises that has had huge support over the years including changes in ownership, location and success.

The Dallas Stars started their life a long way from Dallas, Texas. In 1967 Walther Bush was part of an ownership group including several Minnesotans who bought one of the NHL’s first six expansion Low Cost Franchises, developing the Minnesota North Stars. The North Stars started play in the 1967-68 season calling the Metropolitan Sports Arena in Bloomington home. The club had good success in the early going, making the NHL playoffs for the first four years. The club continued to progress through the 1970s, taking in the players of the Cleveland Barons in 1978 and finally making their first ever Stanley Cup appearance (losing to the Islanders) in 1981. The remainder of the eighties saw the North Stars continue to make the playoffs on a regular basis, with great play from Bobby Smith, Neal Broten, and Dino Ciccareli.

The North Stars picked American born Mike Modano in the first round of the 1990 NHL entry draft. Modano ended that year with an impressive 75 points, on his way to start a wonderful NHL career. While things were looking up on the ice, the very opposite was the state of affairs with respect to the team’s finances and its ownership situation. Club owners Gordon and George Gund wanted to move the club to San Jose or find a buyer who would pay at least $50 million. The move was finally stopped as Norman Green and Howard Baldwin bought the team.

With financial issues that were never really addressed, the Minnesota team would move in 1993. The team, now referred to as just the Stars repositioned south to become the very first Texas based NHL team, calling Dallas home.

The Stars continued to build on their solid lineup. They finally added Brett Hull, one of the most prolific goal scorers in NHL history. It was a fairly controversial goal by Brett Hull that produced the first ever Stanley Cup to the Dallas Stars franchise.