I get tired of the "hockey doesn't belong in Texas" crowd. The Stars have been here since 1993. They won a Cup. The AAC is loud on a Saturday night.
Went to a game last month and the atmosphere was genuinely electric. The crowd knows the sport. People are chirping refs, calling offside before the linesman, debating zone entries during intermission.
Is it as big as football? Obviously not. But the hockey community in DFW is passionate and growing. Youth hockey programs are packed.