News

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With playoffs just around the corner, 2020-21 Season Tickets and 2020 Playoff Tickets are now on sale! 

Until Feb. 25, current and new Season Ticket Holders can:

• Renew or purchase Season Tickets for the 2020-21 season, pay in full, and receive playoff tickets for FREE.

• Renew or purchase Season Tickets for the 2020-21 season, leave a non-refundable deposit of 25% of the season ticket total, and receive a 25% discount off their playoff ticket total.

• Please fill out the form here and email it back to seasontickets@elpasorhinos.com. 

Non-Season Ticket Holders can:

• Purchase individual playoff ticket packages between Feb. 12 and Feb. 25. Please fill out the form here and email it back to seasontickets@elpasorhinos.com. 

• Purchase single-game playoff tickets via Ticketmaster when they go on sale to the public on March 2.

For information on Season Tickets or Playoff Ticket Packages email seasontickets@elpasorhinos.com or call 915-479-PUCK (7825).

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Visit our KraftHockeyville.com page by clicking here. After registering, click “Add My Story” and answer the following questions. Each answer must be fewer than 1000 characters and more than 150.

Question 1: Tell us about your community's spirit as well as its passion for hockey. Can you describe examples of how this came to life?

Consider:

• How did you get involved in hockey?

  • Did you receive a free ticket for a Rhino or UTEP game and get hooked on the excitement of hockey?

  • Did the Rhinos visit your child’s school?

  • Did your child try public skating, Try Hockey for Free, or Rhino Rookies and fall in love with the game?

  • Did your child attend a UTEP Science on Ice game or a field trip and decide he or she wanted to play hockey? 

  • Did you move to El Paso looking for a hockey program and find that our rink was the only rink for hundreds of miles?

• Were you surprised to find that El Paso had a rink and a hockey association?

Question 2: Tell us about your rink. Why is it important to your community and how would the $150,000 be best used to upgrade the rink?

Consider the Rink’s impact on the community:

• Sports is a platform for children to learn the value of teamwork, discipline, and work ethic while staying healthy and having fun. By maintaining hockey in El Paso, we have given children another opportunity to learn these values in a sport that’s not common in the region. The rink also gives many people the chance to experience skating for the first time.  

• The rink offers free field trips for schools, Try Hockey for Free events, and a free learn to play programs (like Rhino Rookies), low cost learn to play programs, and hockey programs geared toward military families.

• Between youth hockey, adult hockey, and figure skating the rink is incredibly busy. In addition to our regularly scheduled hockey and skating programs, El Pasoans frequently visit the rink for public skating, especially during the holidays. El Paso’s blind ice hockey program and the Special Olympics figure skating club also frequent the rink. On a typical weekend, the ice is in use from six in the morning to ten at night.

• Since 2010, the Rhinos, Miners, and many youth hockey players have shaved their heads for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to raise money for childhood cancer research.

Consider the Rhinos’ impact on the community:

• The Rhinos offering free tickets to active duty, veterans, and their dependents. They also offer free tickets to Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders.

• The Rhinos’ community service initiatives including the Skate Mates Education program where they regularly visit local schools. Players have visited hospitals, crisis centers, and other non-profit events and even rang bells to collect money for the Salvation Army. The organization hosts in-game fundraisers or collections, like jersey auctions and Teddy Bear Toss, that benefit organizations like children’s hospitals, crisis centers, the Autism Society of El Paso, or the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation. The Rhinos have been partners with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for more than five years. Rhino players also volunteer to coach youth hockey programs at our rink.

For rink improvements:

• It’s evident that the roof needs repair to avoid leaks and insulation improvements are needed to maintain the ice.

Question 3: Why should your community be the next Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020?

• Can you describe how our rink is like home to our hockey family?

• Can you describe the diversity of individuals who visit the rink? Consider native El Pasoans, military families and/or families from Mexico, Canada, and/or Europe.

• Describe how hockey has made a difference in your family’s lives. What does hockey mean to you and your family as a participant in youth hockey, adult hockey, figure skating, or just a fan of Rhino and UTEP hockey.

• Can you describe how hockey has grown in El Paso since your first time at the rink?

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For the tenth straight year, the Rhino players, coaches, staff and youth hockey players will go bald to raise money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation and help find the cure for childhood cancer! 

Fans will be able to bid on their favorite Rhino’s head to take the first swipe. All bids to take the first swipe for the head shaving will be done during the El Paso Rhinos home game Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 pm. Bidding will conclude at the 10-minute mark of the third period and shaving will take place immediately following the game. Anyone that can't make the game but wanting to bid can do so via email (therman@elpasorhinos.com). Email submissions must be submitted by March 6 at 11 pm (MT). 

You can also help your favorite Rhino raise money by donating online at https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/10992/2020. 

How the auction works:

1.    Bid on a player’s head during Saturday’s game.

a.     Near the Skate Shack, there will be a table with a bid sheet for each player. Simply write your name on the sheet to place a bid. Please place bids in increments of $5.00.

2.    Check on your bid.

a.     Before the auction closes, periodically check your bid sheet to see if you have been outbid. The auction closes at the 10-minute mark of the third period. To win, you must have the highest bid at the 10-minute mark of the third period.

b.    If there are two or more people bidding at the ten-minute mark, it will become a live auction moderated by a Rhino representative.

3.    Pay for your bid on your shavee.

a.     The winning bid must pay at the table near the General Admission bleachers near the birthday party area at the 9-minute mark of the 3^rd period.

b.    Note: If you are outbid on a player but would like to see if there are other players available, ask at the table.

4.    Stay in line to shave the player.

a.     Once you have paid, you will be given the bid sheet with a “paid” stamp. Rhino representatives will help you line up in order of the players’ numbers and shavees’ order. You will then be matched with your player and take a swipe of his hair. In conservation of time, PLEASE take only one swipe of the shavee’s head.   

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Visit the El Paso County Coliseum Kraft Hockeyville page and help the Rhinos earn rally points by clicking here!

You can help the Rhinos earn rally points before Feb. 29 by:

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Holidays with Erdt Family

In the midst of the holiday season, we sat down with Rhino defenseman Dominic Erdt to see how his family celebrates in Germany.

Like many Catholic families in the United States, the start of the Christmas holiday season—especially for children—is marked by the start of Advent in early December and St. Nikolaus Day on December 6. On that day, the children in the Erdt family typically receive candy, peanuts, mandarin oranges and a small gift.

Despite observing the feast day of St. Nick, also known as Santa Claus in the West, Santa doesn’t stop by the Erdt house on Christmas Eve. Some German families do adopt Santa as part of their holiday tradition, but for Dominic’s family, Christkind is Christmas’ gift-giver. In German, Christkind translates to ‘Christ-child’ and across Europe, he is described as a blonde, child-like figure that resembles Christ as a child. For many in Germany, Christkind is slightly different; she is a specific female angel, with Christ-like qualities instead of a depiction of infant Christ.

When Dominic was a child, just before Christmas, he prepared a Wishlist and sat it on the balcony for Christkind. Shortly thereafter, his living room was closed for a week and a blanket was draped over the glass door so he could not see inside. He was frequently reminded that if he stayed near the living room, Christkind would not come. On Christmas Eve, the living room was reopened to display the gifts Christkind had secretly delivered.  

For the Erdt household, children did not help with Christmas decorating. Instead, they waited for Christkind to deliver the décor as well as the gifts. Unlike the tradition of decorating the outside of the house, Dominic says that’s not common in Germany. His family keeps their décor simple by setting up a small nativity scene near their Christmas tree inside. The tree is topped with a star and adorned with candles and ornaments. They also hang an advent calendar that counts down to Christmas day.

Presents are opened on the night of Dec. 24 and Christmas day is reserved for family time. After his sister arrives, Dominic’s family starts the day with breakfast and maybe a trip to church, before finishing the day at their grandparents’ house with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Traditionally, they enjoy Raclette, which refers to both the cheese and the dish made with it. In addition to melted cheese, the meal can include beef, ham, bacon, corn, pineapple, paprika, and mushrooms along with sides of potatoes and bread. Sauces, like spicy ketchup and ranch, also accompany the dish. The Erdt family also makes Gingerbread and Dominic’s sister has inherited the tradition of baking and decorating platzchen (a Christmas cookie) from their mom.

For Dominic, the highlight of the holidays is spending time with family, and specifically visiting his grandmother who lives an hour away. Each year, he gifts her with a recent photo and flowers. He also fondly remembers his favorite Christmas gift, which was the Mario Kart game for the Wii console, given to him by his parents when he was seven or eight years old. He admits that he still plays when he has the chance.

Following Christmas, like the rest of the world, Germans’ attention turns to the next holiday: New Year’s Day. For Dominic, a German New Year’s Eve is celebrated like it is in America. He has dinner at around 6 pm before ringing in the new year at midnight by watching fireworks and enjoying time with family and friends. While it’s customary to make a new year’s resolution, Dominic says he doesn’t really believe in them. He admits that there has only been one resolution at which he was successful in maintaining, and that was making better grades when he was in elementary school. This year, he said he’ll likely skip the resolution-making.

The American Adjustment & Rhino Hockey

For defenseman Dominic Erdt, his second year with the Rhinos has already been significantly different from his first season. When he first arrived in El Paso, he admits, the transition was difficult. “I was 17 and it was not easy. It was my first time away from home. And in Germany, we were not practicing so hard and not throwing so much body. Here, we had smaller ice too. It was hard.” Former Rhino netminder and fellow German, Nils Velm, helped Erdt acclimate to El Paso and to Rhino Country. “At the time, Nils [Velm] was the only German here. I was thinking about going home but he helped me stay here. It was good having someone from your country, speaking your language. Last season, my English wasn’t as good, and it was nice to hear how he felt about his first time in America.”

Despite now being well-adjusted to an American lifestyle, he admits there are several significant cultural differences that he finds odd. In Germany, residents cannot drive until they turn 18, however they can drink at 16 years of age. Of course, Americans can drive at 16, but cannot drink legally until they turn 21. He is also somewhat surprised at how many fast food chains there are in the United States. He estimates that there are fewer than ten McDonald’s in Augsburg for a population of about 300,000. Similarly, in his hometown of Kissing, there are hardly any fast food restaurants and sit-down eateries are much more common. But whether fast food or a sit-down meal, he has also come to enjoy authentic Mexican food and Tex-Mex here in the borderland. Chipotle is his favorite. His go-to order is a burrito with chicken and white rice, no beans, cheese, sour cream and lettuce, accompanied by a Mr. Pibb.

On the hockey front, Erdt has also adapted to his role on the ice—and rather well. He is a self-described offensive defenseman who tries to be the fourth player in the breakout, and, in doing so, he has become an asset to the Rhinos’ offense. In his first 33 games played this season, he already has 31 points, which is only five points off his total last season. On the team, he is currently the second ranked defenseman in total points scored and is among the top five leading scorers. He isn’t satisfied with his accomplishments, however. “I work on getting better every day at practice. I try to do my best every day. I also want more goals and I want to work on my shot.” Similarly, he knows that being one of the team’s few veterans heightens the expectations. “I was one of the youngest guys last year and I just tried to learn from the older players. Now I’m one of the leaders and I try to show the younger guys what to do and what they can do better.” Regardless of being a veteran or a rookie, Erdt explains that all Rhinos are here for one purpose. “We all have the same goal: to win Thorne.”

After he finishes his junior career, he hopes to continue his hockey career at the pro level in Germany. He is also considering becoming a police officer when he decides to hang up his skates. In fact, he has already passed the exam needed to become a German police officer, but decided to play hockey in Rhino Country instead of following the law enforcement career path at the time.

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