RWJBarnabas Health and the New Jersey Devils on Thursday announced an agreement that will put a RWJBH logo on the team’s home jerseys — starting with Thursday night’s game with the New York Rangers.
The patch is designed to strengthen the brand association between the organizations — and will be fully integrated throughout RWJBarnabas Health and Devils’ activations on and off the ice.
The agreement announced, however, is about far more than just a branding opportunity.
The two sides described the announcement as an expansion of a multiyear long-term partnership that aims to support active and healthy lifestyles through the game of hockey.
The agreement, which follows RWJBH’s longstanding emphasis on community health, includes, but is not limited to:
- Youth hockey: As part of the agreement, the Devils and RWJBarnabas Health have developed a comprehensive, overarching youth hockey program to engage with children across New Jersey. Touching more than 40 hockey rinks throughout the state as part of the New Jersey Devils Rink Partners program, this multiplatform initiative is designed to grow the sport of hockey via accessibility, training, on/off-ice skills and the promotion of health and wellness.
- Health care education: The Devils and RWJBarnabas Health share a commitment to support children from the first day they step onto the ice, all the way through their high school years, and beyond. RWJBarnabas Health has created an educational blueprint that will teach children and their families the importance of leading active, nutritious lifestyles and important injury prevention techniques, all with the goal of encouraging healthy habits at a young age. This is combined with the Devils’ support of coaching, mental health and athlete care seminars, providing participants with access to NHL-level guidance and education.
- RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House: Located at Prudential Center, and the home for youth teams, club teams, high school teams and special events throughout the year, it will continue to serve as a primary venue to engage with youth and support community-based health initiatives.
- Dougie’s Buggies: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton will partner with RWJBarnabas Health to launch “Dougie’s Buddies,” a community program where multiple times a month throughout the season, Hamilton will host a guest and their family at a Devils home game. The guests will be determined by Devils’ Grassroots and Community Initiative groups, while incorporating RWJBarnabas Health patients. The experience includes tickets to a Devils home game, food and beverage, Devils merchandise and a postgame meet-and-greet with Hamilton.
- Athlete support: In striving to give Devils players and staff access to the best available supportive athlete care, a dedicated RWJBarnabas Health physician will serve as the club’s associate provider, working with the club’s athlete care team. The RWJBarnabas Health network will continue to provide medical testing services, including team physicals, imaging, lab work and injury preventive strategies and treatment, to best support the fitness of the players, while keeping them on the ice and performing at the highest level.
RWJBarnabas Health CEO Mark Manigan and Devils and Prudential Center President Jake Reynolds were thrilled to be able to make the announcement.
“The opportunity to strengthen RWJBarnabas Health’s 30-year partnership with the New Jersey Devils reinforces our shared commitment to improve community health,” Manigan said.
“While this multifaceted affiliation serves to provide world-class clinical care to professional athletes, equally important, our combined resources will continue to elevate and advance critical community-based health care programs and services across the state.”
Reynolds agreed.
“We are beyond excited to extend our longstanding partnership with the largest academic health care system in New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, and together unveil the first-ever jersey patch partner for the New Jersey Devils,” he said.
“Together with RWJBarnabas Health, we will continue to play an instrumental role in supporting youth hockey programs, fulfill our shared vision of building healthier communities throughout New Jersey and help support the highest level of care for our athletes.”
The agreement also expands RWJBarnabas Health’s current Devils initiatives which includes:
- Hosting the annual “Running with the Devils 5K Run & Walk,” offering live & virtual options to promote healthy, active lifestyles;
- Supporting youth hockey programs, such as Learn to Play and high school hockey;
- Having Devils players, alumni and mascot support community-based programs, including the annual systemwide hospital visits designed to lift the spirits of patients and staff that may be spending the holiday season in the hospital;
- Hosting annual blood drives, community screenings and important cause nights, and immersive patient experience highlighted by the Rock Star program, a VIP gameday experience that honors patients and their RWJBarnabas Health care teams, which incorporates meeting players and in-game recognition.
RWJBarnabas Health will continue to be the presenting partner of the Devils’ annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night, an opportunity to raise awareness for cancer research and care, while honoring a patient/cancer survivor and their health care team. Elevating this initiative and raising funds to support clinical care, and treatment for cancer patients, while delivering necessary resources to hospitals throughout the system, is a priority. To date, funds from this initiative have supported the renovation/enhancement of infusion centers at several hospitals, a new waiting room at the Valerie Fund at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the purchase of several vehicles to provide patient and clinical team transportation.
Devils Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and former Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur said the relationship has been a win-win for both organizations for decades.
“For 30 years, RWJBarnabas Health and the Devils have been synonymous with the state of New Jersey, long-term partners who care about their communities and giving back together,” he said.
“I’ve seen firsthand the impact they have made, whether it’s visiting their hospitals with my teammates to cheer up patients and staff or participating in their youth hockey initiatives throughout my career. There is no better connection than to have with an organization that shares our values, and it’s great for this generation of Devils stars to showcase that on their jerseys.”
