FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) – The Fairbanks Ice Dogs junior hockey league team visited Fort Wainwright on Tuesday to meet military fans and engage with Army families during a community skate and autograph signing.
The Ice Dogs began the month of March with their annual Military Appreciation Weekend, and finished off the month with another event to show their appreciation to the military community that continues to support them.
“The military community is obviously something special to Fairbanks and so is the hockey community, right? So, it’s really cool to see the two link up and do a great event,” said Dakota Bell, head coach for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
“There’s a ton of kids out here, people that support us every single day, every weekend in the Big Dipper, so that’s special to be able to give back to them.”
Bell even said that without the military fans, there’d be no Ice Dogs Hockey.
It’s not just showing appreciation for the support the team receives, but also the sacrifices made by military connected families.
“We’re lucky, we’re just playing a game, right?” Bell said, referring to the sacrifices made on the ice.
“[It’s] a lot of families right out here, it’s not a game, it’s reality to them, they go through a lot of different things every day.”
He added that if it wasn’t for the sacrifices made by those in the armed forces, the Ice Dogs may not even be able to play hockey.
It’s something the guys on the team recognize as well.
“The military is huge up here,” said Gage Leonard, a player for the Ice Dogs now in his third year with the team. “Friday and Saturday nights get, you know, they get jam packed and a lot of it is military guys. So, it’s pretty special to come out on base and skate with a bunch of fans and, you know, connect with the community and even the military community.”
For Chris Hodges, who grew up in Fairbanks and now plays for the Ice Dogs, it’s something he’s known his whole life.
“It’s just a place where military guys, where they work a hard week, come in, have some fun and we really appreciate it because it makes it a lot of fun when they’re going crazy in the crowd,” he said.
The ability to have the one-on-one time with the team was special for the families there too.
“I’ve got my son here, so we’re heavily involved with the team. We go and see the guys play pretty much every weekend that we can,” said 1st Sgt. Corey Dougherty.
Dougherty said the opportunity is also significant as someone who’s not from Fairbanks.
“Just being around the community and the support between the military and Fairbanks is amazing,” he said. “They just did the military appreciation night; they had a command team from both the Air Force and the Army.”
“I really love them and I really like to see them play,” his son Derek added.
Connecting to a team or unit through comradery and service despite coming from different places is something the Ice Dogs even share with those at Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base.
“It’s like a brotherhood in both situations,” Hodges said. ”I mean, like, they go to war essentially with each other and so do we on Friday and Saturday, not to the extent, but always working hard for each other.”
Leonard added that the event gave the guys the opportunity to connect from their own homes as well.
“I met somebody from Anchorage … Wisconsin guys are meeting people from Wisconsin, so it’s a pretty cool connection we can make out here,” Leonard said.
At the end of the day, Bell said he just hopes the kids who got to be part of the event have made a memory that’ll stick with them for years.
https://www.webcenterfairbanks.com/2026/04/01/ice-dogs-give-back-fort-wainwright-with-community-skate/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQ7jg5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEemgi3B54jC3Rbn1TsyAoFHd3Z-tfm9btbyw-2cJXMQ4hT5xlsidEYGpQmPHw_aem_-KU8RWwDSMHOK9X67I5lYQ
