At the Rink: Inside the Dallas Stars' Wild Month of March Team played six games in 11 days, 12 games in one month after sudden snowstorm By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Monday, April 19, 2021 - 3:09 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The National Hockey League was the last of the four major U.S. sports leagues to host a non-bubble regular season. As fans gradually make their return to the seats, how is that affecting in-venue productions and digital content? Similar to At the Ballpark, On the Gridiron, and On the Hardwood, At the Rink looks at the operations of NHL organizations to see how they are coping with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and adapting to a sense of normalcy.
2021 has been a welcome sign for many in the National Hockey League, but down in the Lone Star State, the new year began with a couple of hiccups. After abnormally-cold weather that turned into a winter storm with a lot of snow and a brief COVID-19 outbreak, the Dallas Stars were forced to postpone many of their early home games. Through the diligent work of Director, Game Presentation Kevin Harp and his staff, the in-venue team were able to produce shows for six games in 11 days and 12 total in the month of March.
I've never worked in baseball and always imagined that it was a lot [to handle] with so many games, but I feel like I got a taste of it, he says. It was definitely a challenge.
MORE AT THE RINK INTERVIEWS:
Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup Banner Ceremony Serves as Reminder of Normalcy During Unusual Year
Toronto Maple Leafs Follow Production Blueprint From 2020 NHL Bubble at Scotiabank Arena
Los Angeles Kings' Wanton Davis Adjusts to His First NHL Season During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Top-Ranked Colorado Avalanche Revel in the Return of Fans
Philadelphia Flyers Flex Potential of 4K Kinetic Centerhung as Fans Return to Wells Fargo Center
Nearly 20 Years in Manitoba, Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Balharry Reflects on Productions at Bell MTS Place
In NHL's North Division, Calgary Flames Keep Battle of Alberta Alive in Empty Scotiabank Saddledome
Detroit Red Wings Cover Motor City Storylines With Three Digital Shows, Hockeytown Home Ice
During First Two Months on the Road, San Jose Sharks Develop Engaging Content in Different Ways
Carolina Hurricanes Sidestep Water Leak To Welcome Fans Back to PNC Arena
Vegas Golden Knights Offer Fortress At Home, Debut Studio for 2020-21 NHL Season
Nashville Predators Harness the Passion of Smashville' at Bridgestone Arena
A Hot Start: Crew Overcomes Lack of Preparation to Raise Western Conference Banner Elements like the Socially Kiss-tant Cam are being played on the videoboard.
The 2019-20 campaign was definitely one to remember. Aside from the roller coaster ride that occurred after the stoppage and resumption of the season, the duo of Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski led the Stars to their first Stanley Cup appearance since the turn of the century in 1999-2000. Although the squad was defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games, the franchise wanted to honor them by raising the Western Conference Championship banner during the first home game of the 2021 schedule on Friday, January 22. At the time, without staffers being present in either bubble of the NHL playoffs and only a couple of preseason games, the team hadn't produced a home game at American Airlines Center since Tuesday, March 10, 2020.
Opening night was a bit different for us, says Harp. We almost had to be in mid-season form, but we just didn't have any of that since we haven't played [at home] in 10 months.
One of the biggest obstacles that needed to be addressed was creating an atmosphere that would draw emotion out of their fans. During any ceremony, music plays a vital role in getting the crowd into the desired mindset. After former DJ, Michael Grubes Gruber, accepted a new role with the nearby Texas Rangers, Harp worked with their new DJ, Music Director Jonathon Shippy Shipman, to get through this special moment in franchise history.
We had a lot on our plate, says Harp. We ended up winning 7-0, and that definitely helped a lot, but it was an opening night like never before. [Shipman] did really well that night and he's done well all season long, so I'm pretty happy with how he's progressed.
An Action-Packed March: Team Hosts Long Stretch of Home Games After Sudden Snowstorm The Stud Finder is one way that the franchise is integrating their sponsors.
The current season's structure accounts for a handful of consecutive home games, but the Stars experienced a situation that can be daunting for any trained production professional. The inclement weather forced many professional and collegiate teams around the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area to reschedule games. The Dallas Mavericks, the other organization that plays in American Airlines Center, were impacted by this same winter pattern. Luckily, the NBA franchise only hosted five games in March, which left the venue's operations team with more breathing room to work with. From a production perspective, the club decided to deliver a more straightforward show that didn't involve themed elements.
We made sure we didn't have any theme nights that were running concurrently in one of these blocks of home games, says Harp. We came together and realized that theme nights take a lot of extra work, so our strategy paid dividends for us.
After the final contest of the month against the Florida Panthers on Sunday, March 28, the hellish stretch of games was finally over. Navigating a hefty number of games became a herculean effort to pull off, but the experience showcased the determination and passion of the entire crew.
Walking out of [the arena] after that last game, we were all worn out, he adds. We're all extremely glad that it
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
At the Rink: Inside the Dallas Stars' Wild Month of March Team played six games in 11 days, 12 games in one month after sudden snowstorm By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
