By Jeff D'Andrea

Modano excited for jersey retirement, first ever in Raiders history

Oct 21, 2013 | 6:57 AM

The Prince Albert Raiders will retire the first jersey in franchise history Nov. 1 prior to a game with the Regina Pats. After much thought, the team carefully Mike Modano as to be presented with the initial ceremony as the team will retire his old No. 9.

The City of Prince Albert jumped on board as well and declared the Nov. 1-2 “Mike Modano weekend.”

The team had initially announced Modano’s return to Prince Albert early this summer without any details about a jersey retirement, but made it official on Aug. 21. When they did decide to announce it, it was music to Modano’s ears.

“For PA to make that commitment to start retiring numbers and (for me) to be the first, I can’t explain how that feels,” said Modano during an exclusive Skype interview with paNOW.com. “Hopefully I returned to them on the ice as much as they gave me off the ice to me as a player and as a person, too.”

He certainly did his fair share on the ice for the Raiders and after in his long and storied career. He ranks 6th on the Raiders all-time team scoring list with 294 points despite ranking 87th all-time in games played with 176.

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While he was with the Raiders, he was drafted first overall in the NHL Entry Draft back in 1988, and one of just six American-born players in NHL history to be the No. 1 pick.

He went on to be the highest scoring American born player ever with 1,374 points in 1,499 career games and holds franchise records for the Dallas Stars/Minnesota North Stars Franchise in just about everything, goals, assists, points and games played.

He’s already inducted in the US Hockey Hall of Fame and is eligible for the first time following this season for the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame.

“If you asked me a long time in ago when I went to PA and made that decision in 1985-86, I would’ve told ya those things wouldn’t have happened,” said Modano. “I was just wanted to go play hockey and have fun and go somewhere where it was competitive.

“I wanted to go to Canada where hockey was first and foremost in everybody’s lives up there. It was a great experience for me, something I’ll never forget in what that town and that team meant to me as a player.”

The Raiders extended the invitation to include Modano’s family, including his parents and pro golfer Allison Micheletti, with whom Modano recently married.

“I think they were just as excited as I was when I told them they were all invited,” said Modano. “They haven’t been there probably since I played there in PA, so it’s been a long time for them. My wife, hopefully she’ll be able to make it too.

“It’s an exciting time. Those situations, when they come along, you just want family and friends and people that matter a lot to you to be a part of you and to be close to you and to share in those moments.”

The jersey retirement ceremony will take place prior to the Nov. 1 game against the Pats at 7 p.m. Modano will stick around and be a special guest at the Kinsmen 900 CKBI Sportsman Dinner Nov. 2 at the Art Hauser Centre.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea