Modano's record-tying assist taken away

Nov 1, 2007 - 4:37 AM DALLAS (Ticker) -- Mike Modano still trails Phil Housley after all.

Modano remained one point behind Housley for the all-time lead among American-born players after having his assist taken away in the Dallas Stars' 5-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

The veteran center originally was credited with the secondary assist on defenseman Sergei Zubov's power-play goal midway through the third period that gave Dallas a 4-3 lead. However, video replays of the play showed Modano never touched the puck, and following the game, the official scorers took away the assist.

Modano was hesitant to acknowledge the crowd, which wildly celebrated the point out of respect for his successful career.

"Someone screwed up, it's partly why I didn't want to stand up (during the crowd's reaction)," Modano said. "After a moment, I stood to get it over with and get the game running again. Somebody else figured it, but I told them after the game, you can't do it that way."

A native of Livonia, Michigan, Modano remains at 1,231 career points. He already owns the American record for goals with 509.