Popeye Jones made the decision to attend the Stars Games after crossing paths with future Hall of Fame player Mike Moderno, an NBA rookie with the Mavericks in the same season that Dallas unveiled its new NHL team.
“I couldn’t wrap my head around hockey. They were diving onto the ice… I thought, ‘What’s happening in this sport?’ The puck flew off, and I distinctly remember it hitting me in the nose.
Fast forward to the 1993-94 season, the 6-foot-8 Tennessee native—who initially played basketball, soccer, and baseball—found himself as a hockey dad, much like many folks in the South. He knew little about hockey, despite the NHL’s efforts to establish itself in a non-traditional market.
Those days are behind us. Southern NHL teams are now playing and winning the Stanley Cup in packed arenas, and youth participation is steadily on the rise. While football remains king in many Sunbelt regions, hockey is now embraced from Las Vegas to Texas, Nashville, and Florida.
Jones is a proud father of two boys and currently plays in the NHL. His son, Seth Jones, a defenseman for the Florida Panthers, is in the Stanley Cup final in his 12th season, having been Nashville’s fourth pick in the 2013 draft. Acquired from Chicago in March, Caleb Jones is playing for his fourth team, the Los Angeles Kings, after spending seven years there.
The Expansion Panthers debuted in the league alongside Anaheim in 1993-94, while the Minnesota North Stars relocated to Dallas at that time. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators also joined as expansion teams last season, and the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina, rebranding as the Hurricanes in 1997.
Shane Willis recalls playing with the Hurricanes after the NHL made its way to North Carolina, which involved a two-year transition to Greensboro before settling in Raleigh.
“Is everyone here?” asked Willis, who is now the Carolina youth and amateur hockey manager, five seasons after his NHL playing career.
Carolina celebrated its 2006 Stanley Cup victory and has seen seven years of success, including at least one postseason series win. This year’s run to the East Final.
Success in the South
This marks the sixth season that Florida’s team has reached the Stanley Cup final. The Panthers are making their third consecutive appearance, facing Edmonton in a rematch. Tampa Bay also reached the final three times and won the first two Cups.
The Lightning’s journey kicked off with their victory over Dallas in 2020. The “South” Stanley Cup Final—despite the entire postseason taking place in Canada due to pandemic-related adjustments.
Dallas is vying for its third consecutive Western final this year. It’s shaping up to be another cup run. They were the first Sun Belt team to win the Stanley Cup back in 1999, followed by Tampa Bay in 2004.
All the games in the 2023 Conference Finals I played on the Sunbelt started with the Panthers defeating Carolina in the East, while Dallas lost to Vegas in the West.
Popeye, MO, Sakic
Popeye Jones first met Moderno after being invited to a Dallas Cowboys game.
“I wasn’t really into hockey, so I didn’t know who he was,” Jones said. “But we started chatting, and he was just a really nice guy, sharing insights about sports. I enjoyed our conversation.”
This interaction sparked Jones’ interest in the sport. They both played home games at the then-assembled Reunion Arena before Jones was traded to Boston, where he would be closer to Toronto and two of the NHL’s original six teams. His sole season in Denver was the 1999-2000 campaign, which saw the Avalanche lose to the Stars in back-to-back Western Finals before winning the Cup in 2001.
Jones’ eldest son, Justin, returned from school one day with a desire to play hockey, which had a significant impact on Seth, who was just five or six. Seeking guidance from Sakic, Jones was keen to support his sons as they ventured into a less familiar sport.
Seth Jones began playing hockey in Colorado but was born in Texas and played on a youth team alongside several other budding stars after his father returned to the Mavericks.
“During my time there, I noticed more kids starting to play in Texas,” said the 30-year-old Panthers defender. “We see kids moving from northern cities to Texas because hockey has truly evolved over the past eight or ten years.
More and more players
The registration of players with USA Hockey has significantly surged in the Southern regions over the last 20 years.
According to USA Hockey, 4,793 players were registered in North Carolina during the 2005-06 season, with about 2,400 being under 18. Following the 2006 Cup run, player registrations skyrocketed by 19.5% (to 5,728) in the subsequent season.
By the 2024-25 season, the state boasted 8,698 players (an 81.5% increase from 2005-06), with 5,608 under-18 (a 135.5% rise). However, Willis noted that the actual figure could be higher, as not all players are registered with USA Hockey.
Total registrations have also climbed in Florida and Texas over the past two decades.
In Florida, the player tally has increased to 22,888 (a 144.5% growth) from 9,363 between 2005 and 2006, almost doubling the number of players under 18 to 10,277. Texas saw a jump from 7,017 to 17,346 in total registrations (147.2%) during the same period, with under-18 players increasing from 5,457 to 7,199 (31.9%).
Stars coach Pete DeBoer, who held his first NHL head coaching position in Florida from 2008 to 2011, recalls when the Lightning and Panthers performed in front of sparse crowds, with doubts about whether those teams would remain in their markets.
“It’s astonishing to see how far they’ve come,” DeBoer remarked last week before his dismissal. “Dallas is a prime example of how to establish roots. The grassroots infrastructure, rinks, ice surfaces, and facilities, alongside kids playing minor hockey, has far exceeded expectations here in Dallas.”
Much of this can be attributed to the Stars’ 1999 Stanley Cup win.
“They captured the city’s interest, establishing a lasting connection,” DeBoer added. “Florida may not have begun that way, but now they’re on that path and beginning to reap the rewards. Winning in a non-traditional market has lasting benefits.”
Introducing the game
For the Hurricanes, early outreach involved visits to local schools and conducting PE classes to introduce the sport. The team, supported by NHL grants, recently donated equipment like balls, sticks, and Hurricanes-branded apparel to over 100 schools. This year, they collaborated with the suburbs of Raleigh to launch two public street hockey rinks.
Carolina, Dallas, and Florida are all part of the “Learn to Play” initiative, created by the NHL and NHL Players Association, which introduces children, teens, and even adults to the sport. These programs include provisions for hockey gear and coaching, as well as on-ice sessions at various facilities across the region.
“It’s about introducing not just the game, but the brand as well. You need to make it appealing to parents so they want to get involved,” Willis explained. “I’ve noticed many parents attending games and discussing the sport. If you can create a hockey player, whether it’s through street or ice hockey, you’re undoubtedly creating three fans.
Popeye Jones remembers when Seth was around 11 or 12, and the family wanted him to explore different summer activities.
“Kids called saying they had ice time, asking if he wanted to come out and play some pickup hockey. I was reluctant, but I noticed him eagerly approaching the house,” Elder Jones recounted. “I told him to grab his gear. I’ll never forget how quickly he packed his bag and hopped in the car. I took him to the rink and saw the big grin on his face. I thought, ‘Well, I think I have a hockey player on my hands.’
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Associated Sports Writers Aaron Beard, Pat Graham, and Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
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Source: apnews.com