At a time of increasing commercialization of youth sports nationally, hockey is particularly vulnerable to capture by corporate interests.
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The Stars capitalized on that dynamic by building an ice empire. They convinced seven local municipalities to spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars building rinks that the Stars run and profit from. Their ownership group bought up three more. Along the way, at least eight other independent ice hockey rinks went out of business. Now, every level of amateur hockey in North Texas from preschoolers to adults runs through the state’s NHL team.
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the Stars impose their will by reminding parents that they can block the pathway for any kid.
Remarkable article. Venomous. One damning sentence after another.
(There's a tikok too):
@usatoday Ice is power in the lucrative world of youth hockey. In North Texas, the Dallas Stars control almost all of it. A USA TODAY investigation reveals how a $2 billion NHL team has turned what was once seen as a community good into a lucrative arm of its for-profit enterprise.
♬ original sound - USA TODAY