Stars, Boeing bring hockey to Fort Hood with 'unbelievable' new rink

FORT HOOD, Texas -- On a blustery late-October day on the grounds of Fort Hood located just outside Killeen, Texas, Spc. Colin O'Shaughnessy took a walk from his barrack to the newest installation on base - a full-sized ball hockey court.

In conjunction with Boeing, the Stars built the rink for everyone on the base to use and enjoy. It's part of the organization's goal of growing the game in the state, something that's incredibly important to Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts.
"Along with Boeing, to be a part of bringing this court to the United States Army, we're huge fans of the Army and huge fans of Texas," said Alberts. "Growing the game in all aspects around this state, including on this army base, is incredibly important to us."
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"Boeing is committed to serving our military veterans and their families," said Boeing spokesperson Rafael Gonzalez. "This includes a recent partnership with the Dallas Stars to bring ball hockey to Fort Hood military families. We're proud of our partnership with the Stars and look forward to continuing our work with them to bring support to North Texas veterans. Since 2017, Boeing has committed more than $2.2 million in support of veterans workforce transition services and recovery and rehabilitation programs in the region."
After an introductory press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony, members of the base grabbed sticks and pucks and wasted no time breaking in the rink.

In addition to giving the soldiers an alternative outlet for exercise, the rink will also promote a sense of togetherness and an opportunity for people from different parts of the base to interact more often.
"It's going to bring out friendly competition and camaraderie," said Spc. Tyler Bingham. "It brings people together in a way we normally don't have. I'm usually on the airfield working on helicopters, and most people I see during PT [physical training] I don't deal with on a normal working day. I don't know who half the people are. I have the entire brigade now asking how to get involved in playing hockey on this court."
As the troopers carried on with their pickup game, Alberts took in the moment.
"It's truly humbling for all of us to be involved here," he said. "We're growing the game. We continue to push to grow the game in this state, and the United States Army is a big part of this state. Bringing this to the soldiers and allowing them to have this to relax and come enjoy is really important and great to see."

Bingham says the rink will give people of all ages - especially kids - exposure to the sport.
"It definitely bridges the gap of introducing and bringing hockey to Texas," he said. "The two biggest hubs for hockey in the state are Dallas and Austin. It's something in the middle ground where even younger kids in the community - if they see this - and ask us questions if we're out here, it's something to bring them closer to the sport."
While the rink will introduce first timers to the sport, it'll also allow for the longtime hockey players to hone their craft. A Boston native, O'Shaughnessy grew up with access to a plethora of local rinks.
"It gives us a little something to do in the area," he said. "Back home, there are rinks in every other town. Here, you have to drive at least an hour to find a rink. Then, you have to hopefully have time to get on the ice. This gives us a chance to get out and get a little extra exercise besides PT and improve our game because this is something we enjoy doing in our free time."

Without any glass surrounding the rink, Spc. Collin Malone flashed a sheepish grin when his puck sailed over the net and into a dirt field about 50 feet away. After retrieving the puck, he took a few seconds to take in his surroundings.
"This is going to be unbelievable," he said. "It just gets troopers out of the barracks more often. You can come out with a ball and hockey sticks, or even a soccer ball. It's a multi-purpose rink. Since it's right in between the barracks, we'll have troopers here all the time."
Alberts says the work is far from over. In fact, this is just the beginning.
"So many of us want to continue pushing this game in this state," he said. "We love living here. This is a great state. This state has great pride. We're never going to be the same, culturally, as football, but to have people learn about and play this sport and start understanding how great of a sport it is, like we all know, is very important."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Kyle Shohara is the Digital Manager for DallasStars.com and writes about the Stars/NHL. Follow him on Twitter @kyleshohara.