CNN/SI Home Main Playoff Eastern Conference Western Conference Other Hockey News Scoreboard Schedule Bracket Playoff Stats Team Playoff Histories Almanac

Tough choice Game 7 or son's graduation? Stars' owner makes both Click here for more on this story Posted: Saturday June 05, 1999 03:29 PM   While the Stars celebrated on the ice, owner Tom Hicks was celerbrating at son Mark's graduation. AP DALLAS (AP) -- What do you do if you're the owner of the Dallas Stars, who are playing the seventh game of the Western Conference finals on the same night that your son is graduating from high school? Tom Hicks did both. He watched the Stars for the first two-thirds of their deciding game Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche, then left the game when the Stars were leading 3-0 in their biggest game since moving to Dallas six years ago from Minneapolis. Rushing from Reunion Arena, Hicks and his family got into a Suburban and headed to St. Mark's School of Texas in North Dallas. His son, Mack Hicks, was already there. The ceremony started at 8 p.m. Dad, mom and two brothers, who'd left Reunion Arena at 8:30 p.m., arrived 20 minutes later, with 10 minutes to spare before graduates began walking across the stage. "We may miss the opening speech, but we'll be there," Hicks said before the game. "Who knows, maybe we'll be back before it's over." They didn't make it. The game and ceremony ended within minutes of each other. When the Stars won Tuesday's Game 6 to force a seventh and decisive game, set for Mack's graduation night, Hicks knew he would have to employ some serious time-management skills. "We won 4-1, my son graduated, it was a great night," Hicks said at St. Mark's, where he kept up with the score by radio earpiece. Like father, like son. Mack, a football player and Stars fan, also was torn between the two events. "I would -- if I could -- go to the game," he said earlier Friday as he prepared for commencement. "But I'm taping a radio inside my socks to keep informed on the game, so I'll be all right." Friday night's dilemma may not be the last for Hicks, who has three more sons at St. Mark's -- Alex, who is finishing ninth grade, Bradley in seventh grade and William in first grade. An older son, 21-year-old Tommy, previously graduated from Highland Park High School.   Related information Stories Stars fall on Avs, bring Stanley Cup finals to Texas Roy meltdown costs Avs game, shot at Cup Stats Avalanche-Stars Game Summary Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.