Dale Henry is now doing his best to grow the game in San Antonio following a 21-year professional hockey career that spanned the globe.

Henry is the hockey director at the Ice & Golf Center at Northwoods in San Antonio. The venue has hosted Try Hockey for Free, presented by Discover, events for the last 15 years, and the streak continued with an event on Saturday.

“It gives kids who have never played the game before an opportunity, especially down here in Texas,” Henry said. “The kids can get some skates on and hopefully they can learn how to skate or even play hockey. That’s basically what our goal is.”

A Try Hockey for Free event is designed to provide kids ages 4 to 9 — with any or no hockey experience — the opportunity to try hockey in a fun, safe environment at no cost with a trained coaching staff. With the support of the NHL, its member clubs, in addition to sponsors and local associations, the events are designed to provide a national platform to introducing children to the sport free of charge.

Try Hockey for Free events take place each year in February and November. The events are the world’s largest introduction-to-hockey initiative. Henry noted that there were a little more than 100 participants during the November event in San Antonio. He expects finals number Saturday to beabout the same, as well, as coaches and youth players help teach the game to the newcomers.

“We’re pushing the 100-mark again, which I feel is very good, especially in San Antonio with the first-timers coming out to see what skating and hockey is all about,” Henry said. “We’re trying to put smiles on people’s faces and hopefully we can connect with them so they can come into our program one day.”

Henry said the kids register and then put on skates, helmets and equipment. Then, the volunteer coaches and youth players get the kids on the ice and teach them how to skate and play the game.

“It’s amazing to see all of the kids out there,” Henry said. “The parents are watching them, taking pictures and they’re just having a lot of fun. It’s a great event and everybody is always excited when we have it.”

After Try Hockey for Free, participants have a chance to sign up for a Learn to Skate program at the rink. Then, there’s a Learn to Play Hockey program, which includes skills like stickhandling, passing, shooting and other basics of the game before advancing to the in-house program.

“Everybody wants to go out and score goals, but it’s a process,” Henry said. “These kids learn fast. They’re fearless and once they get skates on and learn about edges and strides, they pick it up pretty fast.”

Henry said that the in-house program features about 30-to-40 kids per division across multiple age groups.

“Everybody who comes out really enjoys the game,” Henry said. “Just seeing the smiles on everybody’s faces makes it worthwhile.”

Henry is originally from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The New York Islanders drafted him 157th overall in 1983, and he played 132 games in the NHL. His career continued in the American Hockey League, Central Hockey League and Western Professional Hockey League among other stops.

Henry initially came to Texas during the 1994-95 season while he played in the CHL for the San Antonio Iguanas. 

Henry, who met his wife, Rebecca, in San Antonio, said there weren’t many people who knew about hockey when he first arrived about 30 years ago, but he’s doing his part to grow hockey in his city.

“When I first came down, it was to generate buzz for the game, especially in San Antonio,” Henry said. “We’ve had some great hockey minds down here, who stuck in San Antonio, they had kids and we’re continuing to grow the game. We still have a long way to go, but we’re doing the best that we can.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc