JACQUES DISSED MODO?

Jacques Lemaire can coach, but his myopic view of the sport can at times taint his genius behind the bench.

Case in point; the Stars last visit to Minny.

The Wild held a nice ceremony for Mike Modano, honouring the league's highest-scoring American-born player.

Modano began his career with the Minnesota North Stars before they moved to Dallas and passed St. Paul, Minn., native Phil Housley, who was also part of the ceremony.

"It's a big honor," Modano said. "The five years I spent in Minnesota was an important part of my career and my life. It was fun to be in a place where hockey meant so much to people, not just the North Stars, but the way high school and college hockey was treated. The fans were really special."

Modano called the Wild's decision to honour him "classy." Apparently Jacques Lemaire didn't share his sentiments.

Reportedly Lemaire wasn't happy that the Wild honoured an opposing player who never played for their organization. When asked about the ceremony after the game, Lemaire abruptly got up and left the interview room.

Way to grow the game Jacques.

Perhaps that androgenic alopecia he suffers from is seeping deeper into his cranium. How else do you explain a man in his position, plying his trade in the self-appointed "State of Hockey" having issue with a brief ceremony to honour a guy who turned a lot of kids in Minnesota on to the game, and holding it just days prior to "Hockey Day in Minnesota" (A celebration of the game's impact at all levels of play in the hockey-loving northern state)?!

Lighten up!

And, just to keep Jacques and the northerners up to date, Modano scored his 523rd last night. That's a new record for goals scored by an American born NHLer.

No worries though, no ceremony is necessary...yet.