NHL Draft 2018: 15 first-hand takeaways from a weekend in Dallas

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: The entry draft logo is seen during the second day of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: The entry draft logo is seen during the second day of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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FRISCO, TX – AUGUST 3: the on field thermometer prior to the match FC Dallas against the Alianza FC at Pizza Hut Park on August 3, 2011 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images)
FRISCO, TX – AUGUST 3: the on field thermometer prior to the match FC Dallas against the Alianza FC at Pizza Hut Park on August 3, 2011 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images) /

8. A nightmare for any northerner

When you think of the state of Texas, what comes to mind? Barbecue? Horses and cowboy hats? High school football? The Dallas Cowboys?

A lot of things likely come to mind (it is a big state, after all). One of those things might not be professional hockey, and that’s okay. The state is known for a lot of things. And while the Dallas Stars are becoming a popular piece of Big D, there is still a ways to go.

And when you think about hockey being played in Texas temperatures, it’s even crazier to fathom. I mean, how does one play hockey in this “hell on earth” environment? Let’s say we get a lot of help from A/C and indoor rinks.

As a native Texan who grew up in the hot, dry Texas climate, I have to admit that I had a good laugh both watching and hearing the writers, reporters, team media and fans from up north agonize over the temperature.

Whether it was making jokes about cooking eggs on the sidewalk or about melting before they could get to the arena door, it was quite a hoot.

Just to give you a perspective, the thermometer in my truck read around 100-102 degrees Fahrenheit by the time I got out at 4:30 p.m. to enter the arena. When I got back into my truck around midnight, it was still a solid 85 degrees outside. To me, that’s normal. But to others, it must have been hell on earth.

Saturday was much less painful (at least in the morning). It was overcast in Dallas and there was a threat of rain. The temperature in the morning sat in the low-to-mid 80’s. But by the time the draft ended in the early afternoon, it was sweltering yet again.

On the way out of the arena on Friday night, another media member asked me how we deal with this kind of heat. I told him, “I guess you just get used to it after a while. But loose gym shorts and light shirts help out a lot also.”

It was two typical days in Texas, but it was awfully fun to watch those from out of town (specifically up north) bring up the “end of days” talk. What a hot, fun weekend it was.