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Morning Edition
Phil Picardi and Lukas Levin

Film about the North Stars highlights the turbulent times of Minnesota’s first NHL hockey team

JP Parise
In this 1974, photo, Minnesota North Stars J.P. Parise, far right, scores as Boston Bruins Carol Vadnais, center, looks on in Bloomington, Minn.
Roger Nystrom | The Star Tribune via AP

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Before the Minnesota had the The Wild, the State of Hockey had a team that wasn’t meant to be: the North Stars.

A new documentary by FOX 9 called, “No Stars: When Minnesota Lost Pro Hockey” chronicles the rocky journey of Minnesota’s first National Hockey League team.

“We thought maybe it was a good time to tell the story,” said Sean Skinner, the documentary’s producer. “And, you know, it’s a story that’s near and dear to my heart.”

The North Stars came about during the NHL’s first expansion in 1966. Although they made it to the play-offs in its first season, they were eliminated in the semi-finals. They had one other shot at the Stanley Cup decades later, but they ultimately lost again. After a merger, several coaches and a couple general managers, the North Stars were sold to Dallas.

“Pretty much everybody at some point or another was pretty emotional,” Skinner said. “The topic can be kind of polarizing to people.”

The documentary debuted Thursday night on FOX 9+ following the broadcast of the Minnesota Gophers men’s hockey game against Bemidji State. It will air again Friday at 11:30 p.m. on FOX 9. It will also be streaming on FOX LOCAL and the FOX 9 YouTube channel.

To listen to the full conversation, click play on the player above.