Dallas Stars Ice Girls History

Ice Girls History

The NHL's first Ice Girls team appeared in the 2000-01 season. It was the New York Islanders who changed the NHL tradition of an all-male ice team and introduced their Ice Girls concept to the league. The Dallas Stars did not hesitate to embrace this nontraditional idea to enhance their in-game presentation and launched their inaugural Ice Girls team the very next season in 2002.

The first team consisted of 10 skaters who were hand selected through an extensive audition process. The sole purpose of this group was to help maintain an exceptional playing surface throughout Stars games at American Airlines Center. During the three TV time outs that occur each period, the Ice Girls were responsible for clearing away the accumulation of snow around the goal and boards in less than two minutes.

During the next few seasons, the role of the Ice Girls expanded from strictly ice maintenance to include team promotions and community events. Then, in the 2006-2007 season, live choreographed dance was introduced at certain points during the game from a platform in the arena. The dancing element brought a new-found interest from across the Metroplex and has added an overwhelming number of candidates at auditions. With the need for dancers and skaters, the team has now doubled its original size.

In the summer of 2008 the Ice Girls participated in the first Lake Day video. This put the Dallas Stars Ice Girls on the map on a national level. This video helped in bringing the Dallas Stars Ice Girls to the forefront of the hockey and sports world. The Lake Day videos have collected over 1 million views and have become some of the most popular videos in Dallasstars.com history.

During the 2011-2012 season the Ice Girls introduced the first Dallas Stars Ice Girls Swimsuit Calendar. The Dallas Stars Ice Girls were one of the first NHL Ice Girl teams to introduce the ever popular swimsuit calendar. This calendar was sold around the world and grew in popularity each year.

As Dallas Stars Ice Girls, the ladies are not only constantly busy rehearsing and performing at Stars games, they are extremely dedicated to volunteering for community events and making local appearances at various non-profit organizations. Some of the most rewarding appearances for the group are the yearly visits to nursing homes, schools, and hospitals. Bringing hope and happiness to others is a strong focus and passion for all the Ice Girls. They also share their time and talent with young girls with the annual Jr. Ice Girls Program. Serving as teachers, mentors, and friends, the Ice Girls are able to help mold young girls into confident and proud young ladies.

The ladies who make up the squad have varying careers and aspirations. Some of the current members range from teachers, mothers, business professionals, and full-time students. This diverse group carries on the proud tradition of entertaining the best fans in the league and gains rewarding, lifetime experiences in the process. Presently over 20 of the 30 NHL franchises now have an Ice Girls program. The Dallas Stars Ice Girls remain one of the elite programs in the league and will continue to serve as positive role models and ambassadors for the Dallas Stars organization for many years to come.

Click here to view a full list of past teams.