The Dallas Stars included some time for charitable works in their training camp schedule, and it’s a rare opportunity for the team to come together in this way. Half of the team built bunk beds and half volunteered at the Central Texas Food Bank.
On a 100-degree day in north Austin, Texas, Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill was found in khaki shorts and a t-shirt with a power drill in hand. Not one to stand idly by and watch others work, Nill rolled up his sleeves side-by-side with half of the team’s training camp roster to try to make a difference in some kids’ lives.
Partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a local group of volunteers that have dedicated their time to ensure bunk beds can be built, assembled, and delivered to children and families in need in the Austin area. In the span of about an hour, Stars players, coaches, executives, and staff constructed about 30 bunk beds that were going to be delivered in the following days, some even that very night.
What else would you do with a day where you probably initially wanted to have time on the ice but couldn’t because the arena had a concert planned that evening? With a preseason game scheduled in Cedar Park for Sunday afternoon, the team had the ability to spend some time doing some off-ice team building and giving back to the community.
Nill remarked that it’s rare that the team gets to do these things as a collective group. While many of the guys are involved in various charity things at their level, the organization as a whole is dispersed throughout the year, so having a chance to do it as a full group in one place during training camp is a rare opportunity the team wanted to take advantage of.
The team at the bunk bed build was split between various stations. Some worked to put the side panels together using drills and nails. Others were responsible for pre-cutting some of the holes that would be used when the beds are assembled on-site at the children’s home. A group of younger rookies put together the slats used to support the mattresses, ensuring that the top bunk doesn’t collapse in on the bottom bunk when kids get rowdy. Esa Lindell and Roope Hintz used a cattle brand-esque contraption to burn the SHP logo into the headboards of the bunk beds.
Nils Lundkvist and director of hockey analytics, Matt Rodell, headed up the wood staining stop on the assembly line. The stain was made of a mixture of vinegar and steel wool, which is cheaper than traditional stain and doesn’t hold a smell for as long as traditional stains either.
A lot of smiles could be found, even with it blazing hot outside, as the team worked through their various stations. Some playful ribbing could even be heard, too. Lundkvist, standing by the stain bathtub in the direct sun, laughed about how he was out in the sun with his Swedish skin while Lindell tried to get some relief for his Finnish complexion under a shade tree.
While it may seem like an easy-breezy ask for the team in the midst of training camp, the team got a lot of value out of their charitable work.
“First thing, it’s team building. We learn to work together as a team,” Stars forward Radek Faksa said of the assembly line production of the bunk beds. “The second thing, the most important thing, is you do it for little kids. It’s sad that it’s 2023 and there’s kids that don’t have beds. That’s really sad. I think for every guy, it’s a pleasure to do it and help those kids and do something good. Sometimes you don’t know how to get to these things, so it’s good that the Dallas Stars set this up. Feel good about ourselves and help the community. They give us so much support during the year, this is the one thing we can give them back.”
You can check out some more of the candids taken of the bunk bed build below.
