The Phoenix Coyotes launched some new shtick for the punters this season–18 on-ice cheerleaders called The Pack. To any long time hockey fan, this is difficult to reconcile, because:
Shoes on ice = Comedy pratfalls
And yet, judging from the videos, The Pack seems very surefooted between periods (insert awful PMS joke here).
There are no pompoms, and it’s more line-dancing than anything else. Why don’t they just go the rest of the way and put some scantily-clad figure skaters out there? They’d be more entertaining than this, uh, ‘spirit squad’.
Can we collectively agree that we won’t permit this sort of thing north of the 49th parallel? Of course, what do you expect from a team that plays in Jobing.com Arena (with the lousy URL http://www.glendalearenaaz.com.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
There’s always been a ‘gimmick’ to get Americans out to & watching hockey games (the blue for pass, red for shoot on FOX is a classic example).
As for Jobing.com, seems odd to be naming things after dotcoms again *shudder*
(Miss604 Jobing.com Arena post)
Awesome! I’ve been saying for years that this is the only thing Hockey lacks compared to the other major sports. I’m one hundred percent behind it.
Keep me posted on the inevitable “pack dancer slips on ice” video.
P.S. They do look surefooted. I think Phoenix could use them in their roster.
Eh. Kids today. Those NHLers should just play out on frozen ponds.
I noticed that Carolina had cheerleaders on platforms at the corners of the rink a number of years back. And of course, the Canucks introduced the tight/revealing clothing wearing (mostly) girls who clean the ice up during commercial breaks.
I’d imagine the Phoenix cheerleaders must have some kind of special footwear that provides extra traction. Perhaps they use the same material that that annoying Canadian Tire guy is always shilling for come winter time?
Juan: You know, I can barely fault the Canucks for the clean-up boys and girls (I think there’s typically two guys and two girls). I suppose it’s a bit cheap, but it could be much worse.
Plus, I’ve observed a bit of social engineering in the way they clean the ice. They always have the girls clean along the players’ benches where the players are often standing. The players, I think, are much likelier to move for a n attractive young woman than a guy.
From the video, it looks like they perform before the ice is flooded, which is probably a good idea so that:
1) anything they track out onto the ice gets sucked up by the Zamboni, and
2) it’s far less likely that one of them will slip and bust her head open in front of 18,000 people