Behind the Screens

Spontaneity and a feel for the moment has been a significant part of how the Dallas Stars entertainment team has made its name around the National Hockey League. While this reputation is well earned, there is a formulaic method to their strategy that begins far before puck drop. Twenty-four hours ahead of game time,…

First-time attendees are common at hockey games in Dallas. Therefore, the Stars’ entertainment team realizes that it has just the duration of one game to make an impression on as many people as possible. “Dallas, being a non-traditional hockey market there’s a lot of room, presentation and production-wise, for deviation from whatever the norm…

Although it is being phased out of the game as the years go on, fighting is still something hockey is known for. A well-timed bout can change the trajectory of a game, and it is a major moment for fans in the stands. When fisticuffs are exchanged, the Dallas Stars entertainment team jumps at…

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….

It is hockey tradition that the three stars of each evening’s match are recognized by the fans. One at a time, each star takes a step back onto the ice and raises his stick to salute the fans who remain in attendance after the final buzzer. In the Dallas Stars’ control room, the entertainment…

Some of the most important members in the Dallas Stars organization do not see a game in-person the entire season. Such is the case with Video Director Terri McCormack. Her chair is just around the corner from the ice, but since 2006 she has been executing each home game’s content plan from the control…

The Stars may not have turned Dallas into a pure ‘hockey town’ but they have endeared themselves to the people of their city because of pure entertainment. Win or lose, the expectation is to give the fans a positive memory. This becomes more difficult when the team trails 3-0, but the entertainment must stick…

With 41 regular season home games each year it can be hard to make every event a unique experience. The jumbotron is universally accepted as the method of choice for entertainment directors of American professional sports teams, but the elite ones find ways to engage fans in a new way. The Stars have done…

In most sporting arenas, music is used as a way to simply fill lulls in the action. For Dallas Stars DJ Michael Gruber, it is an opportunity to create a moment that fans will remember long after the event ends. The witty disc jockey has developed a cult following in Dallas due to his…

When leaving a professional sporting event, the chatter of exiting fans is often dominated by the turning points of that night’s game. Even an unaware pedestrian can determine the outcome of a match based on the tone and timbre of the surrounding conversations. As can be expected among passionate fans, the difference between a…