The Devils and Prudential Center announced today that their practice rink, attached to The Rock, will now be known as the Barnabas Health Hockey House.
The rink itself will see very few changes aside from the new logo and name, but the partnership with Barnabas Health will “collaborate on programming designed to promote optimal performance and good health, while building confidence, sportsmanship and life skills” with the staff at the rink and the participants who use it. They will make available to all players, teams and coaches who use the rink a Fueling Healthy Athletes and Sports Nutrition Curriculum.
In addition to this, Barnabas Health “will partner with the Devils and Prudential Center for all youth and grassroots programming including the Little Devils Youth Fan Club, The New Jersey State High School Ice Hockey Championships and the Devils’ annual Captains Night, Devils Dream Day Camps, Hockey in New Jersey, the Devils Coaches Clinic, the Devils’ celebration of New Jersey Ho key on Prudential Center’s main concourse and the Barnabas Health Family Show Series.”
The health care system will also work with the Devils “on rink affiliate program that will bring youth hockey clinics and wellness and nutrition education to players and coaches at ice hockey rinks throughout the state of New Jersey.”
Essentially, Barnabas Health will be sponsoring ways to teach kids how to lead a healthy lifestyle through playing hockey and learning about health and nutrition. They are hoping that the Barnabas Health Hockey House will serve as a type of “headquarters” for New Jersey youth and amateur hockey.
Barnabas Health Hockey House is one of only two practice rinks connected to a main arena in the NHL, the other being located at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena. The Devils have practiced, as well as held special events like the 1995 Alumni Game, here since they moved to Prudential Center. Previously, they practiced at South Mountain Arena in West Orange, New Jersey.
The rink will probably be going through another naming change in the coming weeks as Barnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson Health System will be merging to become RWJ-Barnabas Health.