A staff member of a Russian hockey team is going viral on social media for stealing the show at a game hosted by Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
During a break in the action, a woman in the home team’s jersey skated to the rink and scooped shaved ice into a bucket near the goal post.
He then gracefully skated off the rink as fans watched and players returned from the bench to resume play.
While her skating ability was impressive, fans took to social media to praise her stunning looks and wonder if what they had seen was legit.
—Do they really do this at hockey games? wrote one user.
Another commented: “I love hockey now.”
An ‘ice girl’ from the Russian hockey league goes viral on social media with 2.4 million views
Ice girls are common in the NHL and the Dallas Stars program is considered the best.
Several NHL teams began using ice girls after the Islanders broke the all-male tradition in 2000.
‘Serious question… who is she? Asking about me,” a third chimed in.
“Prettier than most current models,” added a fourth.
Unlike the Russian league, NHL teams typically have men’s ice crews that clean the surface during media timeouts.
However, several NHL teams have introduced ‘Ice Girls’ as a hybrid of surface cleaners and cheerleaders during games.
The NHL’s first Ice Girls team appeared in the 2000-01 season, when the New York Islanders transitioned from the traditional all-male ice team. The Dallas Stars adopted the new tradition by introducing their Ice Girls team the following year.
Since then, teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche have joined the Ice Girl movement.
However, the Stars’ Ice Girl program is considered the best in the league.