JP Hurlburt led Team USA to a gold medal in South Korea earlier this year and has his sights set on the NHL.
ALLEN, Texas — Just outside the American Airlines Center, home of the NHL's Dallas Stars, stands a statue of the legendary Mike Modano, perhaps the greatest American-born hockey player of all time.
But on Tuesday night, there was a 15-year-old boy in the AAC who was willing to one day take that mantle from Modano.
“It's a dream to be a player like Mike Modano,” JP Hurlburt said when contacted by WFAA hours before the Stars played the Buffalo Sabres. “And that's the motivation. A guy who can play for Dallas and represent the Stars is going to be the greatest American in the history of hockey. I think that's a realistic dream. And to look up to him. And it motivates me every day. Go to the rink.”
Hurlburt, an Allen native and superstar of the Dallas Stars' elite program, is well on his way. He helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the Youth Olympics in South Korea earlier this year.
“It's about wearing the red, white and blue and representing my family, Dallas and the Dallas Stars,” Hurlburt said. “There's nothing better than this.”
He made quite an impact during his time in South Korea, scoring a goal and recording two assists in the gold medal game. He led Team USA in goals for the tournament.
“The day after the Youth Olympic gold medal game, Pat Kelleher, the executive director of USA Hockey, texted me and said, 'You're not kidding me about that Hurlburt thing,'” Stars deputy director of amateur sports said. President Lucas Reed said.
It's been like this from the beginning.
“When JP was just two years old, I climbed into his bed and read him Dr. Seuss,” said Jeff Hurlburt Sr., JP's grandfather. “And he said, 'No, hockey, grandpa,' when he was 2 years old. So it's been quite a journey.”
Thirteen years later, he's here competing for Team USA. And Reid said Hurlburt is the best prospect in hockey to come out of Texas.
“In my opinion, yes,” Mr. Reed said. “But that's subjective, right? And that's not disrespecting the players that came out of here. We had some very good hockey players. But I think he I think it has the highest ceiling.”
“I can count on one hand the number of times in 15 years that I didn't want to go to the rink,” said his father, Jeff Hurlburt Jr. “And I think that daily effort and never-ending grit is what sets him apart from the rest of his peers.”
And in the meantime, JP continues to track down Modano.
“It's been quite a journey so far,” Jeff Sr. said. “I hope it continues like this…”
