The Stars Come Out In Dallas

June 21, 1999 / 6:43 PM EDT / AP

Thousands of cheering hockey fans lined downtown streets Monday to congratulate the Dallas Stars for winning the NHL's Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

A victory parade led to a rally for around 16,000 fans at the team's Reunion Arena, where the players took turns hoisting hockey's Holy Grail over their heads.

Â"We just made a decision on the way down here. As long as we've got one of these, why not go for two?Â" Stars coach Ken Hitchcock told the cheering throng.

The Stars did not get to share their moment of triumph with their fans, instead accepting the Stanley Cup in front of a stunned Buffalo crowd after clinching the championship on Brett Hull's controversial Â"in the creaseÂ" goal in triple overtime early Sunday morning.

But the Dallas players got to soak up the adulation Monday.

Thousands of fans lined the route of the short parade, waving green and black Stars flags as the players and team managers road by in a motorcade.

Street vendors made brisk sales of $25 T-shirts and $10 golf caps marking the championship.

The Stars have had a growing following in Dallas since the franchise moved from Minnesota six years ago, but the team's march to the NHL finals grabbed the full attention of a city better known for its football enthusiasm.

Â"Three and a half years ago we bought the Stars and I made the commitment to the fans to take the team to the next level,Â" Dallas owner Tom Hicks said during the ceremony. Â"I hope you'll agree, we delivered on our promises.Â"

The Stars are the first professional team from the Dallas area to win a major championship other than the Dallas Cowboys, who have taken five Super Bowls.

The official victory celebrations followed a spontaneous outburst in the city's bars, restaurants and homes in the early hours of Sunday after the Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in triple overtime.

Hull was considered a hired gun when the Stars acquired the future Hall of Famer in the off-season after the team fell short in last year's playoffs despite posting the league's best regular season record.

After scoring the Cup-clinching goal despite being hobbled by groin and knee injuries, Monday's hero's welcome had Hull feeling like a native of the Lone Star state.

Â"I didn't know what to expect. I've never been involved in a parade of this magnitude,Â" enthused Hull, who had never played for a Stanley Cup winner in his illustrious career.

Â"I want to savor it because this is a moment you'll never forget. It's better than a dream come true,Â" he added.

Â"Anybody who says Dallas is not a hockey hotbed is crazy.Â"