The Dallas Stars will host a Girls Hockey Day, followed by a PWHL Takeover Tour stop in December. They're going all out for women's hockey in Texas.
The Dallas Stars are going all out to show their support for girls and women's hockey in Texas in December with a pair of major events in Dallas.
The organization will host a pair of events alongside the PWHL beginning with a PWHL x Dallas Stars Girls Hockey Day on December 7, and culminating with a PWHL Takeover Tour Stop to end the month.
According to Dallas Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts, the pair of events are another step in the exponential growth of women's hockey in Texas.
"We are excited to support the PWHL and the upcoming game at American Airlines Center," said Alberts. "The North Texas area has become a hockey hotbed, and this event is evidence to how much the game has grown in the state of Texas over the last three decades."
At the December 7 Girls Hockey Day, which quickly sold out, there will be a number of prominent former national team and PWHL players on hand, including Victoria Bach and Erica Howe, as well as Olympic gold medalists Kacey Bellamy and Haley Skarupa.
"One of the things that we are most excited about is the PWHL X Dallas Stars Girls Hockey Day..." said Alberts. "The event will include appearances by some of the most accomplished women's hockey players in the world - Erica Howe, Kacey Bellamy, Haley Skarupa and Victoria Bach. Within hours of the event being sent out for registration, it was completely sold out. There is so much excitement for women's hockey in North Texas and this is just one step in its continued growth in the region."
The PWHL Takeover Tour game is scheduled for December 28 at 5pm between the Seattle Torrent and New York Sirens at America Airlines Center.
The game will feature the top Texas exports in women's hockey in Hannah Bilka of the Seattle Torrent and Ally Simpson of the New York Sirens.
Both players grew up playing minor hockey in Texas as Bilka is from nearby Coppell and Simpson is from neighboring Fort Worth. At the NCAA level there are a number of Texas products competing, most now coming through the Dallas Stars Elite girls hockey program. The talent continues at all levels including with USA's U-18 national team where Flower Mound, Texas' Bianca Birrittieri will represent USA in net.