ALLEN, Texas — Right outside the American Airlines Center, home of the NHL's Dallas Stars, stands a statue of the legendary Mike Modano – arguably the greatest American-born hockey player ever.
But on Tuesday night inside the AAC, there was a 15-year-old kid who wouldn't mind taking that mantle from Modano one day.
"That would be a dream, to be a player like Mike Modano," JP Hurlbert said, when WFAA spoke to him a few hours before the Stars faced the Buffalo Sabres. "And it's motivating. A guy who can play in Dallas, and represent the Stars, become the greatest American ever to play hockey. I think it's a realistic dream to have. And to look up to him. And motivation every day, when you go to the rink."
Hurlbert, who was born in Allen and is a superstar for the Dallas Stars Elite program, is well on his way. He helped lead Team USA to a Gold Medal in the Youth Olympics in South Korea earlier this year.
"To wear the red, white and blue, and represent your family, and Dallas, and the Dallas Stars," Hurlbert said. "There's nothing better."
He made quite the impact while he was in South Korea, scoring a goal and tallying two assists in the Gold Medal game. He led Team USA in goals for the tournament.
"The day after the gold medal game at the Youth Olympics, the executive director of USA Hockey, Pat Kelleher sent me a text and said 'You weren't kidding about that Hurlbert,'" Stars VP of Amateur Sports Lucas Reid said.
It's been like this from the beginning.
"When JP was just two, and I climbed into his bed to read him Dr. Seuss," Jeff Hurlbert, Sr., JP's grandfather said. "And he said 'no, hockey, grandpa,' at 2 years old. So it's been quite a trip."
13 years later, here he is competing for Team USA. And Reid says Hurlbert is the best hockey prospect to ever come out of Texas.
"In my opinion, yes," Reid said. "But it's subjective, right? And it's no disrespect to the players that have come out of here, we've had some very good hockey players. But I think he has the highest ceiling."
Now, the work continues.
"I can count on one hand in 15 years, how many times he didn't want to go to the rink," his father, Jeff Hurlbert, Jr. said. "And it's that daily drive and never-ending grit that I think separates him from some of his peers."
And in the meantime, JP continues his pursuit of Modano.
"It's been quite a trip so far," Jeff Sr. said. "Just hope it keeps going..."