DALLAS — Most Dallas Stars fans were disappointed with the way Game 1 of the NHL's 2024 Western Conference Final ended.
But most of those Stars fans weren't a star NFL player who was attending his first-ever hockey game.
Because Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs sure seemed to get a kick out of the festivities at the American Airlines Center on Thursday -- no matter that the game ended up being a heartbreaker for the home team as the Stars lost 3-2 to the Edmonton Oilers in double-overtime.
Earlier in the day, Diggs teased his attendance of Game 1 by acknowledging that he'd never attended a hockey game before and asking his followers for advice on what to expect.
His post elicited a broad array of replies -- everything from "drink beer" and warnings about arena temperatures to explanations on when to shout "Stars!" during the national anthem -- but it seems nothing quite prepared Diggs for the real thing.
We know this because the folks over at Bleacher Report mic'd Diggs up for the experience, kept a camera fixed on him and his trainer Sean Washington all night long, and released on Friday evening the highlights of the footage they'd captured.
The resulting minute-and-a-half clip makes for a fun watch as Diggs shares all of his thoughts on his first NHL game out loud.
Diggs' takeaways from his front row seat perch while rocking Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen's jersey, per the video:
- Hockey is a fast sport. Noted Diggs: "Look how fast the puck is going, bro!"
- It's intriguingly violent, too. Throughout the clip, Diggs reacts with glee at big hits. At one point, he roots for a fight to break out.
- Ultimately, it's fun as hell. Most of the audio in the clip is just Diggs laughing or screaming with delight.
- But it's also kind of scary. Diggs, who wasn't exactly shy about banging on the glass from his seat, also asked his friend at one point if the glass might break.
- Really, it's not completely dissimilar from football. Diggs seemed particularly impressed by the game's passing, at one point comparing a hockey play to a "slant pass" one would normally see on the gridiron.
As you might expect given his own position, Diggs immediately took a shine to players putting in effort on defense -- particularly Stars forward Mason Marchment (referred to by Diggs by his No. 27 jersey number), who Diggs called "my guy right there" and even shouted out on X by calling him "a dog."
Diggs was also quick to recognize talent when he saw it, complimenting Oilers forward Connor McDavid -- regularly recognized as the best player in the NHL -- for his ability by calling him "dangerous" and saying, "I don't want no action with him."
In the end, the Stars may have lost Game 1, but they appear to have earned a fan in Diggs.
"I get it now," Diggs said of hockey's appeal toward the end of the video.
But could he see himself playing the game? Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
"Nah, I couldn't do it," Diggs said. "[But] I'm gonna download [the] NHL [video game] when I get home."