• by David Kaplan , October 21, 2004

Comcast and women-centric cable network Oxygen Media have teamed up to prove that hockey can be a girls' sport - especially in Texas.

Along with the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars, Oxygen and Comcast are introducing Oxygen Icebreakers - a free hockey program designed to introduce the sport to girls between the ages of 4 and 8. The Oxygen Icebreakers program was created in the mold of the similar "Kids First" program that Comcast introduced in September, with this new program focusing exclusively on young girls. This first session of this free introductory ice hockey program will begin on November 14 and run through December 12 at the Plano Sports Authority's StarCenter in Plano, Texas.

Created by Comcast Spotlight, the ad sales arm of the cable giant, the promotion is designed to attract more local advertisers in Texas by introducing programming that channels like Oxygen tend not to be associated with, said Rosanna Falzone, sales promotion manager for Comcast Spotlight. Oxygen may extend the idea to other areas across the country. Currently, the cable network is available in 52 million households.

So far, sponsors of the program include Rooms to Go -- Kids & Teens, Six Flags over Texas, and Hawk Electronics.

"The Dallas Stars have always been committed to selling the game of hockey to kids and families and getting them out on the ice," said Doug Armstrong, the Dallas Stars' general manager. "The Oxygen Ice Breakers program is a wonderful opportunity for parents to see how much fun hockey can be for their girls at no cost."