As the Stars were wrapping up their pregame skate, a hand-off was made.
“It was awesome,” said Perez, proudly displaying his souvenir. “In all the games I’ve been to, the only thing I’ve gotten was a puck. I guess Tyler saw me in a Stars jersey, and he decided to give it to me.”
The Stars and Coyotes are here because El Paso won Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020, which earned its designation as 2020’s most-spirited hockey community in America after garnering the most votes in the online Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020 contest. El Paso won $150,000 in rink upgrades from Kraft Heinz and $10,000 worth of new equipment from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund. The game was not hosted in 2020 due to COVID-19.
There was a strong sense of community inside the barn (it still functions as one with cattle heaters in the back), and the natives of El Paso were beaming with pride.
“It’s really a strong hockey community here,” Ethan’s mother Idalia Santiago said. “When we came to our first hockey game here, the fans were so amazing. They really rally for their teams. We fell in love with hockey here. It means a lot for the Stars and Coyotes to come here, show the support and help us out because Ethan loves hockey.
“My son has a few medical conditions, and he’s always been afraid to play sports. The atmosphere in El Paso is so amazing when it comes to hockey. He fell in love with it. Little by little, we’ve been getting him more practice time.”
El Paso County Events Center is home to the El Paso Rhinos, a hockey team in the junior North American Hockey League (NAHL). Banners hang from the roof of the rink chronicling the team’s accomplishments since its inaugural 2006 season.
“I have a Rhinos jersey that’s signed by all the players,” Perez said proudly. “But I never thought I’d see the Stars here. It’s crazy. It’s so cool they’re playing here in my rink. I’m a Stars fan because that’s the biggest and most popular team in Texas. I’m going to hang the stick on my wall.”
“I was so excited for him,”…