Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: The Star Away From the Ice
It takes an entire team of people to create the atmosphere that the Dallas Stars produce each night. Still, there is a face of the operation, and that is Celena Rae.
The anthem singer and in-game host appears frequently during each event and is perhaps the busiest person in the organization on game day. After she puts the mic down following the national anthem, she picks it right back up again to host games at intermission and conduct several hits from the stands between whistles.
After 14 years with the Stars, nothing is too daunting for Rae at this point, including her 90-second race against the clock from the ice to the concourse during intermission. Even if it requires sprinting, it is all in the name of fun for the fans.
“We got one of the greatest compliments from our President, Jim Lites, one year,” Rae recalled. “He said no matter what is going on on the ice, our fans still have a good time.”
Singing is what brought Rae to the Stars back in 2004-05 when she had recently made a run to the semi-finals of the hit TV show American Idol. Now, she is still renowned for her vocal chords but has developed a relationship with fans because of her ability to create a fun atmosphere around the gags and games the team conducts between periods.
“Having Celena as an arena personality is great, because in the situation where we’re down three goals she can convey a positivity, a smiling face, some enthusiasm through an intermission game so we can keep some positivity up even in what may seem like an imminent loss,” Senior Manager of Game Presentation Jason Danby said.
Perhaps the most visible member of the Dallas Stars that does not lace up a pair of skates every night, Rae is still smiling and singing, no matter what happens on the ice around her, something not lost on the fans.
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