Hockey is For Everyone—Even Us “Soft” Texans

I’m writing this because, honestly, I really want to respond to every Oilers fan on X (formerly Twitter) who’s out here gatekeeping the sport, calling Roope Hintz “soft” or a “diver,” and acting like hockey belongs to Canada alone. It’s been driving me nuts, and instead of firing off a dozen angry replies, I figured I’d get it all out here.

You know the tweets I’m talking about:

• “Hintz is soft.”
• “Texans don’t know hockey.”
• “Typical Sunbelt fans. Cry more.”
• “Hockey is a Canadian game. Learn it before you comment.”
• “Dallas is just a diving team, they’re a joke.”
• “Hintz is fine, he’s just selling calls like always.”

Listen—yes, Dallas has drawn some calls. They’ve sold a few penalties, no doubt. But guess what? Every team does it. Edmonton fans, don’t act like your team is some pristine, penalty-free paragon of virtue. I’ve watched your players sell calls too. It’s part of playoff hockey. If you think your team is above that, you’re not watching close enough—or you’re too busy polishing your maple leaf badge of hockey superiority.

And let’s talk about this “Texans don’t know hockey” take. That’s the one that really grinds my gears. Just because we live south of the Mason-Dixon line doesn’t mean we don’t love the game or understand it. Dallas Stars fans have been through it. We’ve lived the heartbreak of blown Game 7s, the sting of injuries, the frustration of bad calls. We’ve cheered in barns that were half-empty in the ‘90s and packed AAC during playoff runs. We know the game.

Hockey doesn’t belong to Canada alone. It doesn’t belong to Edmonton, or Toronto, or Montreal. It belongs to everyone who loves it—whether you’re watching from Alberta or Allen, Plano or Peterborough.

And real quick—let me say this to a few Stars fans I’ve seen posting “Let’s hope McDavid gets hurt” or “Take out Draisaitl.” Stop it. That’s not the way. We don’t want anyone hurt—on either side. We’ve lost Hintz, we’ve seen what that does to a team. We don’t want that for anyone, no matter how much we want to win. Let’s win by playing better hockey—not by hoping the best players on the ice get sidelined. We’re better than that.

I get it—there’s a certain pride that comes with hockey being Canada’s game. I respect that. But gatekeeping fans because they’re from the South? Acting like we’re unworthy of having opinions because we sip sweet tea instead of Tim Hortons? That’s tired. That’s weak. And honestly, it’s embarrassing.

Here in Texas, we’ve built something special. We’ve grown the game in ways no one thought possible. The Stars are the most consistently successful major sports franchise here in the DFW area We’ve turned Dallas into a legit hockey town. We’ve inspired kids in the suburbs to lace up skates instead of cleats. We’ve made hockey part of our lives—just like you have.

So, to the Oilers fans who want to tell us how we’re supposed to be fans: thanks, but no thanks. We’ll cheer for Roope Hintz, whether he’s healthy or hurt, diving or not. We’ll keep showing up, filling the AAC, and raising our kids to love this game. We’ll keep growing the sport in the South, because that’s good for everyone—even you.

Hockey is for everyone. Period. And don’t you dare tell us otherwise.

— A Proud Dallas Stars Fan from the Great Hockey State of Texas