Dallas Stars Announce Plans For Texas Hockey Day Celebration
By Josh Clark
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is just a little over one month away and is being hosted by the Dallas Stars. With that comes plenty of excitement and celebration. One of the newest events added to the festivities is Texas Hockey Day.
Just when you thought draft weekend couldn’t become any more exciting, the Dallas Stars and the NHL announced another party. And now, the state has its own day dedicated to hockey.
Texas Hockey Day will take place on June 21, 2018 at the StarCenter in Farmers Branch. The event is being put on by both the Stars organization and the NHL and will help kick off the draft itself, which takes place on June 22-23.
The event will start in the early hours of the morning at 5:30 a.m. and run until 7:00 p.m. at the various rinks at the StarCenter. It will be a terrific all-day event that will help kick off the 2018 Draft, which will also be the first NHL Draft hosted by the city of Dallas.
With almost 14 hours of time to fill, the event will be free to the general public to simply show up and enjoy. There are also a variety of events to take part in.
The day will begin with three different SSHL games at the Doug Miller Rink. McKinney will take on Euless at 6:15 a.m., followed by Frisco vs. Farmers Branch at 7:00 a.m., and end with Plano vs. Richardson at 7:45 a.m.
Around 9:00 a.m., there will be a Dallas Stars Xtreme Team Summer Camp that will also be put on at 3:00 p.m. The NHL Top Prospects Clinic will run from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and will include a few Dallas Stars players, including Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Ben Bishop. Top draft prospects like Rasmus Dahlin and Brady Tkachuk will also be on hand for the clinics.
Following the clinic, the Dallas Stars will give out the annual Mike Modano Trophy, which is awarded to the Stars player with the most points at the end of each season. This year’s recipient is Jamie Benn. They will also give Tyler Seguin the Normandy Homes Three Stars of the Year Award for landing in the three stars in the most home games this year.
In the afternoon, there will be plenty more action including a sled hockey game, a free hockey clinic for kids ages 4-14, and more hockey games between junior teams. The Bob Gainey Rink will also host public skating sessions throughout the day.
There will be activities put on by the Dallas Stars Street Squad and free popcorn and drinks handed out throughout the day.
For the entire press release and full information on the schedule and events during the day, click here.
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It looks to be an exciting way to hype up the draft weekend and give Dallas Stars and NHL fans alike another glimpse at how significant the sport has become in the Lone Star State. Not a bad idea at all.