Stars unveil Modano statue during special ceremony

Mike Modano will forever shine in Dallas.

A statue of the Hall of Fame forward was unveiled outside American Airlines Center during a special ceremony on Saturday.

The sculpture features Modano's famous jersey flap as he is mid-stride with the puck. It was sculpted by artists Omri Amrany and Sean Bell.

Due to weather conditions, the ceremony was pushed inside the arena during the first intermission of the Stars game against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Stars legend was joined by his wife, Allison, and their five children.

An emotional Modano wiped away tears before speaking to the crowd.

"My daughter Kate said 'Dad you're probably going to cry, right?' and I said 'Yeah,'" Modano said to begin his speech. He then thanked all the people who made the special moment happen.

Modano's statue joins one of Basketball Hall of Famer and Dallas Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki outside the arena.

"I'm thankful for Dirk, for saving me a spot out there in the plaza," Modano said during his speech.

Before the ceremony, the Stars posted a video of Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger and Joe Pavelski congratulating Modano on the honor.

Modano played 20 seasons for the Stars franchise, four in Minnesota (1989-1993) and 16 in Dallas (1993-2010). He currently holds the records for most goals (561), points (1,374), playoff points (146) and games (1,499) by an American-born player in NHL history. His No. 9 was retired by the Stars in 2014.