As the Dallas Stars gear up to face the Florida Panthers today, there is much preparation behind the scenes to ensure that their actual gear is ready to go.
Dallas Stars Senior Staff Writer Mike Heika had the opportunity to speak with the Stars’ equipment staff, who revealed how much work actually goes on off the ice to guarantee the Stars are properly equipped each game:
“… the equipment staff has an endless list of tasks to perform each day. While the team travels from town to town, it needs an incredible amount of infrastructure to perform its job. In addition to the basics, there is medical equipment for the trainers, video equipment for the coaches, and trunks of “extras” that help the organization function.”
If shuttling the equipment between Frisco, Dallas and road destinations wasn’t already enough, international destinations – especially participation in the Global Series – add another level of difficulty:
“There are challenges that come with international travel and the additional responsibilities of working with the NHL on a big event. For these two games, the team has to bring full home and road uniforms, and an extra set of sweaters for the players to keep. The jerseys are all unique to this event and have additional patches and branding that had to be sewn on.”
The hard work, long hours and dedication of the equipment staff is widely recognized by Stars players and management. In fact, many have developed interpersonal relationships over time to the point where they consider themselves “a big family,” according to Jamie Benn:
“We’re a big family and they’re at the rink longer than anyone else,” said Benn. “So if you want to just hang out and talk, they’re always going to be there. There are some great times there, lots of jokes, lots of conversations, nothing in particular, but it’s just great to talk.”
To learn more about the Dallas Stars equipment staff and the unique challenges of travelling to Finland for the Global Series, you can read the rest of the article here.
Stars Stuff
Great article written by Lia covering where Miro started, and how he got to where he is today:
…and he is surely living up to his expectation:
Remember life without smartphone cameras? Pictures were so much more fun to take.…😎
Perhaps this will become a trend amongst NHL players in the States? Roope is onto something here…
Central Division Matchups
Aside from the Stars, the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild will be shredding some ice this evening:
- The Jets, led by red-hot Kyle Connor, travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets this evening in attempt to build upon their strong start to the season. The Blue Jackets will look to build on some recent momentum, having won 3 of their last 4 games [ESPN].
- The Wild will host the Tampa Bay Lightning, both of whom have won 4 of their last 5 games [ESPN]. Andrei Vasilevskiy has the chance to earn his 300th win, fastest in NHL history [NHL].
The World of Chel Dallas & Florida
🇫🇮💪🏻
The more you know 📚:
Finally
So happy for these guys! Lifelong memories surely being made.