20 Years

 Here's how it started...

Well, actually it started 20 years ago when I was selected to be a member of the inaugural squad of the Dallas Stars Ice Girls -- a new female team put together to provide quick ice maintenance, 3 times each period, during tv timeouts of all Dallas Stars home games. 

The tradition has continued over the last 20 years, and apparently two decades felt like a nice milestone and perfect time for a reunion! My initial reaction was: oh, that's kinda cool, what a neat idea. Then the thought of actually going back was a bit daunting, as that was nearly a lifetime ago! But after some back and forth with the one person I'm still in touch with, we decided to reunite with former teammates and enjoy a night out at a Stars game!

During the pre-game reception, we had the opportunity to catch up with each other and meet recent Dallas Stars Ice Girls. It was fascinating to see how the program has changed over the years and hear about the experiences of the recent squads.

Everyone together!

At the game, it was fun to remember what it was like to be on the ice. I did have a sense of pride knowing that we held the title as being part of the original team when it all started!

The OG Squad

During intermission, a segment was featured recognizing the history of the Ice Girls. A video montage of the Ice Girls in action showed how the program started and how it has evolved over the years. It is way different now that they have 10 skaters on the ice instead of just 4 like back in the beginning, and they have dancers to add another element of entertainment.

Two decades of Ice Girls

One of the coolest moments of the evening, was when the current squad came out wearing all the different uniforms from over the years! (Apparently, some of the former girls "followed the rules" and actually turned in their uniforms at the end of the season - so those uniforms were dug out of storage for this special night! Um, I actually never turned in my white uniform...it's tucked away in my closet somewhere!) NOTE: White uniforms were only used the very first year, and then they stayed mostly black.

Our OG White Uniform

Our 2nd year uniform

The current Ice Girl coordinator added a fun surprise by choreographing a unique dance to highlight all the different uniforms from all the previous seasons. NOTE: There was no dancing when I was on the squad...

Here's what I remember about being on the ice...always so fun!

Despite my initial hesitation and bit of apathy about this event, I am glad I attended the 20-year reunion -- it was a rare opportunity to be part of history and allowed me to reminiscence about some of the unique moments of my time on the ice. Let's see what happens in another 20 years!

And while that was my story, there's also another chapter in this tale. Jeff too has his own experience with the Ice Girls for nearly the last 20 years, as a member of the Promotions Staff. While I was only a member for 2 years, he has spent the last 18 years working with all the different squads, and that earned him a special spot as an honorary member of the Ice Girls! He definitely has way more Ice Girl stories and experience than me, so this reunion was a good chance for him to catch up with everyone!