Gary “Bear” Millsaps has volunteered for Dallas youth hockey for 25 years. Growing up outside of Chicago, he has been involved with hockey since his childhood. He was a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks and grew up listening to radio broadcasts with his step-brothers.
Millsaps began volunteering for Dallas youth hockey in 1999. He started with the Dallas Storm in their first season and stayed with the team until they disbanded in 2006. He has volunteered with the Dallas Stars Elite since the club was founded in 2009, and this past year, he celebrated his 25th year of volunteering for youth hockey.
“Being involved with showcase camps, junior camps, spring team camps, and tryouts, I have interacted with hundreds of players,” Millsaps said. “I’ve developed quite a reputation, and there are many people out there who know me before they actually meet me.”
Currently volunteering with the Dallas Stars Elite 16U team, Millsaps fills many roles and helps the players in any way he can.
“I’m part team manager, part equipment manager, part glorified waterboy, part trainer, part first-aid guy, part laundry person, part snack provider, and part morale officer,” Millsaps said.
Bear’s value to the team is certainly undeniable, and his efforts do not go unnoticed by the players.
“I don’t know what the team would do without him. We all rely on him a lot, and he’s always there to help us with whatever we need,” defenseman Bobby Williams said.
Millsaps also brings fun traditions and a personal touch to the team.
“The most popular thing I do is on some Saturdays, I will make [the boys] a meal. The most popular is my meatball subs!” Millsaps said.
While the team greatly appreciates his work, he is not the only bear that helps boost team morale. The team also has ‘Green Bear,’ a green Beanie Baby bear, that serves as the team’s mascot.
“One of my favorite traditions is passing the green bear around the room before each game. It is essentially [Bear’s] ‘lucky bear,’ which he feels brings the team luck and good games,” defenseman Ryder McLeod said.
As the team’s biggest supporter, Millsaps always tries to attend games. Despite a recent prostate cancer diagnosis and difficult radiation treatment, Millsaps drove 20 hours to support the team at the Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth National Championship.
“It can be hard traveling so much, so when Bear is there, it just feels like we are at home,” McLeod said. “Bear is just a huge beauty all around. When we came down for each game, he would always already be waiting in the equipment van ready to head out. I love seeing the way Bear is committed even with all that he has been through.”
This was hardly the first time the team had competed at Nationals. Millsaps recalled one of his best memories being from the 2012 tournament in Buffalo, New York when the team won a semifinal game to advance to the National Championship. It was a “David vs Goliath” game covered by an ESPN camera crew. Their opponent was the Long Island Royals, an all-star team coached by former NHL player Pat LaFontaine, who is featured in the Hockey Hall of Fame. While the team only managed to secure the silver, their epic feat was making it to the championship.
“We played honorably, nothing to be ashamed of. I was very proud to attend the tournament to lend whatever support I could, whether it was filling water bottles or repairing a helmet,” Millsaps said.
Being around hockey has taught Millsaps how fulfilling volunteer work can be, and it has also helped him build a community of support.
“In my 25 years of youth hockey involvement, I am truly grateful for the overall hockey community’s support and best wishes,” Millsaps said. “It may sound a bit corny, but youth hockey actually gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. This is what I intend to do as long as I can. Being fatigued during the treatments is not fun, but when people see me and give me a ‘Sup, Bud!’, it makes me a bit happy and able to soldier on.”
