Story and Photos by Pat Krause

The Firebirds Hockey Team had their first home game on Dec.18th. "THEY WON." The Acrisure Arena was filled, and the excitement in the air was thick with yelling and screaming fans. The Firebirds showed their ability with a BIG WIN on their first time on their own home ice. I am sure the screaming fans made them more enthused about playing great. Fuego, the Firebird Mascot, was all over. He went onto the ice during a break and skated around, giving out t-shirts.

Photo by Pat Krause

What a fun night for everyone. People attending were given a lighted piece of Styrofoam, so they waved their wands of red when they turned the lights off before the game. The Skaters were introduced as they came on the ice with fire bursts behind them. The Band played "Ring Of Fire," and the National Anthem was played when the color guard and the Band came out onto the ice.

Photo by Pat Krause

The puck was dropped, and the fans screamed. The Game was ON. Fans were waving, and one gentleman got in the aisle to get people to yell, Go Firebirds! The video screen showed fans in different ways. First, they were the Awkward Dad Dance and The Ugly Sweater videos. Next, they played "YMCA," and fans were shown dancing to that by their seats. It was non-stop action either on the ice or on the video screen. During rest periods, men scrap the loose snowy ice off the rink. Then, during each Quarter, the two Zambonis would fill the rink with new water to make the rink clean again, and the ice would freeze quickly.

Photo by Pat Krause

The Firebirds had 3 goals before the opposing team managed a goal. The puck goes very fast from one end to the other. It is a tiny little black round thing. Players must keep their eye on the puck and other skaters. They must protect the goal tender so no puck can get to the net to score. I became a Hockey Fan last night, along with hundreds of others. Ice rinks in the Desert are new for a lot of people. They quickly learned about Hockey, which can be a rowdy sport where players are aggressive in getting at the puck and can get hurt. One player got hurt in the first period. After that, players' layers fall during play and are up so quickly if you blink, you miss it.

The final score was a stunning 4-3 win over the Tucson Roadrunners on Sunday.

Photo by Pat Krause

You watch skaters take turns on the ice. One in the box and another climbing out onto the ice. When hit, I was told that a puck could go up to 100 miles an hour. I was behind the glass taking photos when a puck came to the glass in front of me. Two skaters hit the wall, hard, by where I was standing. You see how athletic they are. Their agility, hand, and eye coordination are envied in all other sports.

Photo by Pat Krause

The game was over, and the Firebirds came out onto the ice with hockey sticks in the air... Players were awarded titles, like the best player, etc. They skated out, and one player threw his Hockey still over the glass wall into the audience. One lucky boy grabbed it, and that player became his hero. Fans came early, which made finding your seat easy. Parking was less hassle as each event will get even more accessible. Leaving was no problem as they had people directing traffic. When thousands of fans come, it takes a lot of planning to do it right.