Go Ice Dogs!!!!

The Ice Dogs are the Fairbanks Junior A Hockey Team and they are awesome. Darin and I go the games as much as we can, and the kids love going too.
Sponsor Families help support the players by being their "family" while they are here playing. Darin and I are considering becoming one of those families when we can.
The Ice Dogs are all around good kids, who are required to have jobs, train like crazy, and do fund-raising for their team! The players are usually about 19-20 years old, and "sign on" to a college or team while playing here.
The players come out and talk to fans/supporters/kids after their games and are always so polite.
I have the pleasure of working with AJ, whose boyfriend is the Ice Dogs Training and Conditioning Coach. His name is Eric and he gets us comp tickets when he can which we greatly appreciate.
This year, the team has had "theme jerseys" that they bid to fans and it has been really neat. The first jersey bid off was their Halloween Jersey. The highest bid that night was $2000! Wow. Darin bid on a jersey for M.Benedict #4, from Thief River Falls. We have talked to him several times after games. Here is the Halloween Jersey Darin wears w/ pride :)














We all have players that we really like, even though we think they are all awesome. Now #4, like I said, is Michael Benedict from Thief River Falls. Very nice guy, and is one of our favorites. He and Darin talk and talk after games as they both know the same area and such, and might know the same people/families.

M. Benedict #4


Now I also have a favorite player, who just HAPPENS to be from my home town and high school! He is #21, Eric Kraft. He plays a forward position and is also, very well mannered.





E. Kraft #21

Another player we really enjoy watching, and have met and talked to several times, is #27 Brandon Martell. His sponsor family has a son who is one of Brendan's friends. He just celebrated his 20th bday and we made a nice glittery posterboard sign that we held up and gave to him after the game. He has already signed on to the Univ of MN, and he is from Andover, MN. There really are A LOT of MN players. Now his picture doesn't do him justice...he must not have got the memo that it was going to be picture day :) Much more handsome in person. But he is a huge guy with a lot of tackle force let me tell ya!!!



B.Martell #27
So....if you ever wonder where we are on a weekend evening and the Ice Dogs have a home game...we will be at The Big Dipper Ice Arena!!!
My next chance at a Kraft jersey (the last one went for $900 way out of my price range!) will be for Valentines Day....maybe Darin will get it for me for my gift!!! :)