Head coach Pete DeBoer is pleased to see hockey growing in North Texas.
DALLAS - The Stars held their first community practice of the season at the Children's Health StarCenter Euless on Saturday.
It was an opportunity for head coach Pete DeBoer and company to hit the ice for a workout surrounded by some of their biggest fans in North Texas.
“I would call it energizing,” said DeBoer, who has guided Dallas to a 4-1-1 record in six games. “To have an off-site practice, I just think it’s a different feel. The energy that the crowd and the kids bring is fantastic. You get an opportunity to grow the game and get to the grassroots level here, which is something this club’s been built on, so I think it’s fantastic.”
DeBoer, of course, is no stranger to coaching in non-traditional hockey markets with previous stints in states like Florida, California and Nevada, so helping to further develop interest in the game with events like these has become a key responsibility for him.
“It’s everything. You’ve got to grow the next generation of season-tickets holders. To do that, you have to grow the next generation of hockey fans and hockey players. Those areas I was in [as a head coach]… were really similar at different points in building it, but they all came from the same place,” explained DeBoer. “They started basically with one rink and probably one minor hockey team or two, no adult teams, and have grown it. Hockey’s one of those contagious sports that you have to see live, you have to play it, in order to really fall in love with it.”
Now in his second season behind the Stars' bench, DeBoer is thrilled to be helming a club with such a passionate fan base.
"It’s been fabulous here. I was welcomed with open arms. What I love is the support really feels unconditional. They love the game, they love the players, they love the experience, and they’re not going to hold it against you if you don’t win every night," said DeBoer. "They just want to see a good effort and they want to see entertaining hockey. It’s been a really, really great experience from my end."