Wed, Mar 13th, 2024 - 11:54pm
July 11, 2023 - 12:25pm | By James McCarty
FRISCO, Texas – Former University of North Dakota goaltender Ed Belfour has been elected to the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame Class of 2023, as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
Belfour, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, captured a national championship with North Dakota in 1987 before becoming one of the most decorated goaltenders to play professional hockey.
Now in its second year, the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame seeks to recognize players and/or staff members who have positively impacted the Dallas Stars franchise in such a way that their contributions cannot be overlooked.
"It is with great pleasure that we announce the induction of Ed Belfour into the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame as the Class of 2023," said Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts. "Ed was instrumental in guiding this franchise to a Stanley Cup championship, and his performance in the postseason will never be forgotten. He'll forever be one of the greatest goaltenders to ever suit up for the Stars.
One of the premier goaltenders to ever play in the National Hockey League, Belfour's 17-year NHL career was highlighted by a 1999 Stanley Cup championship with the Stars. Signed as a free agent in the summer of 1997, Belfour's impact in Dallas was immediate.
In his first season with the Stars (1997-98), Belfour posted a 1.89 goals-against average, leading Dallas to a Presidents' Trophy for the most points in the NHL (49-22-11, 109 points) and an appearance in the Western Conference Final. He finished the campaign with a 37-12-10 record and .916 save percentage, ranking second among league netminders in wins (37) and GAA and third in shutouts (9).
The following season saw Belfour lead Dallas (51-19-12, 114 points) to its second consecutive Presidents' Trophy. With the Stars allowing the fewest goals against that year (168), Belfour won his fourth William M. Jennings Trophy presented annually "to the goaltender(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team(s) with the fewest goals scored against it during the regular season." Belfour's numbers that season with Dallas nearly mirrored his first with the team, as he posted a 35-15-9 record, 1.99 GAA, .915 SV% and five shutouts in 61 appearances. Belfour elevated his game in the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing a championship run with a 16-7 record, 1.67 GAA and three shutouts. In the Stanley Cup Final alone, Belfour posted a 1.26 GAA, including a 53-save performance in Dallas' triple-overtime Stanley Cup-clinching victory in Game 6 against Buffalo.
A two-time NHL All-Star with Dallas (1998 & 1999), Belfour earned a 160-95-44 record, 2.19 GAA, .910 SV% and 27 shutouts in 307 regular-season games as a member of the Stars from 1997-2002. He also posted a 44-29 mark with a 1.85 GAA, .926 SV% and eight shutouts in 73 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Stars.
Belfour will be officially inducted during Dallas Stars Hall of Fame Weekend Oct. 21-22.
