Toms River Hockey Celebrates Veterans, Challenger Program At Season-Opener

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Hockey Club is kicking off the 2026-27 season on Saturday with a celebration that also will be raising funds for three charitiable organizations, the club announced.

The celebration begins with games at 7 a.m. at Winding River Skating Rink, 1211 Whitesville Road in Toms River, and continues well into the afternoon, club president Harry McDermott said.

Teams from U8 through U18 will play, he said, with the highlight being games at 1:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. to raise awareness and support for the Brick Stars and the New Jersey Warriors.

The Toms River Hockey Club will be represented by the Blackhawks, which is comprised of high school juniors and seniors from throughout Ocean and Monmouth counties.

At 1:30 p.m., the Blackhawks U18AA team will take on the New Jersey Warriors, a team of disabled military veterans from throughout the area.

The New Jersey Warriors is a nonprofit, volunteer-run program affiliated with the NJ Devils that gives disabled servicemen and servicewomen the opportunity "to connect with one another, challenge themselves and each other, and remind them that there’s still nothing they can’t do," the organization's website says. Veterans are able to join "as a way to connect, bond, and use this experience as a therapeutic way to physically rehab and manage stresses from their military experiences."

At 3:15 p.m. the Blackhawks 18A team will play against the Brick Stars Challenger organization, a program consisting entirely of players with developmental disabilities.

The Brick Stars, which started in 2009, teaches skating, hockey skills and game skills to children and young adults with developmental disabilities.

Donations to both the New Jersey Warriors and the Brick Stars will be accepted throughout the afternoon.

In addition to supporting those two organizations, the Blackhawks will be starting their 2026-27 October Saves drive.

During Breast Cancer Awareness month, hockey goaltenders of all ages across North America gather donations and pledges for each save they make during the month of October and the funds raised benefit cancer-fighting beneficiaries across the United States and Canada.

Over the past four seasons Toms River Blackhawks goaltenders have raised $42,477, McDermott said.