Mike Heika / Reporter

I just got off the phone with Mike Modano and he said he was ``upset and disappointed'' that things with the Stars had to end this way.

``I was told a while back by different people that I would have the say of when I wanted to retire, and it obviously didn't happen that way,'' he said. ``I'm upset and disappointed with today. It's definitely not the way I pictured it happening.''

Modano said he's not upset with GM Joe Nieuwendyk, just with the process. He said he and Nieuwendyk remain friends.

``Yeah, definitely, it wasn't easy for him, and I know that,'' Modano said. ``It's just business, but it doesn't make it any easier for me, either.''

Modano has contacted some business associates who would help him in shopping himself around, but said he would act as his own agent in free agency. He said he would be personally fielding calls when free agency starts on Thursday and said he believes he would probably play in the Western Conference.

``I definitely think in the west, that's what I know best and where I'm most comfortable,'' he said.

Modano's wife, Willa Ford, has been shuttling back between California and Texas while pursuing acting gigs, and Modano said it would be good if he could work things to be near her.

``She'd be ecstatic if that would happen, so that's definitely preferred,'' he said. ``But I just have to find the right fit.''

Modano said he's still not sure he wants to play. He said he can't even put a percentage on his decision, because he doesn't know what opportunities are out there.

``Honestly, until I talk to people and know where I fit and how I can help a team, I have no information to even base a decision on,'' he said. ``It's a whole new world for me, but I think I should probably know a lot more after the first week or so of free agency. Who knows, I could find the right fit on the first day and sign a deal or I could find nothing and then decide to retire. Anything is possible right now.''

When asked about his fit on the Stars, he said he wasn't happy last season.

``No, but who on the team was,'' he asked rhetorically. ``It wasn't a good season, it didn't come together very easily. I just think you have to put that in the past and move on.''

Today is a sad day, My favorite player of my favorite NHL team has been told that he can no longer play for the Dallas Stars. I remember when the Dallas got this strange thing called NHL hockey and i really wondered will it make it here in Dallas.

The new fans were shown and told bout this one player #9. I really didn't think much about hit. He looked very normal but when I started to see a few of the Stars games on tv, I knew that the boy had some mad skills.



What I remember about this game was at this time I was living in Germany and we had channel 5 from London on our cable tv and that they were showing the game live and it was about 730 am and the game was still on and it was really into extra time and when the Stars won, I was so wanting to be back in Dallas losing my mind. I still have a hard time believing that Dallas actually won a NHL title.

But now it time for our leader to move on to the next part of his life and we shall miss him here in Dallas...