Recently I got a coupon with my grocery receipt which was good for two free tickets to go to a Texas Stars hockey game at the Cedar Park Arena. It was impressively serendipitous considering a conversation I’d had with some friends a few days before about going to see a game this hockey season. Needless to say, later that week we found ourselves in line in the rain waiting to redeem our tickets.
We weren’t the only ones redeeming coupons, so the line snaked outside for more than an hour. We missed the first period and were starting to wonder if we’d ever make it inside when we finally got up to the ticket booth. By that point the cheap seats they were giving away for free were gone, so they had no choice but to give us Club Seats for our coupon. So sad.
It was my first live hockey game, so the vantage point was great to see everything that was going on. We settled in with our fried food and beer while my friends narrated the rules as the game progressed.
I got the whole experience, from audience games during breaks between periods and an advertising blimp floating overhead dropping coupons for free fast food.
Hockey is fun to watch, especially with some help to figure out what’s going on. It didn’t hurt that the Stars are the AHL feeder team for the NHL Dallas Stars. Right now they hold the Calder Cup after winning the AHL championship last year. Not a bad first hockey experience to get free tickets to see the reigning champions play!
I'm Not Yet Dead 
We used to go to hockey games when the Whalers were in Hartford. The skating is pretty amazing although I wasn’t crazy about the fights.
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There wasn’t a lot of fighting, but plenty of body checking. I’m still clueless on what’s allowed and what’s not. I’ll need to go to more games!
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Great sport but doesn’t televise well. When you checked into the boards, it is like being blocked at 30 mile/Hour!
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Whoa! That’s a crazy fact about the speed. I haven’t watched much on tv. Maybe you just have to be really dedicated to a team to enjoy it from the comfort of your home. Being there in person was definitely exciting, though!
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I’ve never understood hockey vey well, but always rather enjoyed it, especially the couple of games I saw in person. And, of course, I remember the Glory Days when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. But, really, you should be standing in line for hockey tickets in a light snowfall, not rain.
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