The Devils’ ownership’s new parent company (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment) today announced that they have “become the first National Hockey League franchise to form a strategic partnership with a National Women’s Hockey League team.”
The Devils are aiming to “support the growth of the NWHL, and increase the development and visibility of girls’ and women’s hockey in New Jersey and across the metropolitan area.” They will do this by using the Devils and Prudential Center resources to help promote the Riveters’ “operations – including marketing, sales, events, game presentation and facilities.”
The Devils will host a NWHL-NHL doubleheader on Saturday, October 28 when the Riveters open their season at 1:30 PM against the Boston Pride and the Devils follow at 7 PM against the Arizona Coyotes. The press release mentions that Riveters season ticket holders will receive tickets to the Devils game that night and Devils season ticket members will have their usual seats available to them for the Riveters-Pride game. As for those who are not season ticket holders for either club, $40 will get you tickets to the Riveters game and upper level seats for the Devils game later that evening.
The team also announced a $150 ticket package that will net you lower level tickets to the Devils game that night plus season tickets for the Riveters this year.
As part of the alliance, the New York Riveters will be re-branded as the Metropolitan Riveters. Also, this weekend at Prudential Center, “in support of World Girls Hockey Weekend, the Riveters will join 60-plus local girls youth hockey players from the AHAA for the Devils home opener against the Colorado Avalanche.” The youth players will get to see the Devils’ game, have a special Q&A with the Riveters and “will participate in an exclusive skating clinic after the game.”
Hugh Weber, President of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center said “the partnership between Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and NWHL’s Riveters presented itself as an extraordinary opportunity to support youth and women’s professional ice hockey at the Prudential Center.” He continued, “we are confident that New Jersey Devils fans and those supporting the development of young women in athletics are as proud as we are for the Metropolitan Riveters to call the Prudential Center home. Under the continued leadership of HBSE Founders, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, we will continue to champion innovative partnerships that promote youth hockey in the Tri-State area.”
NWHL Commissioners Dani Ryan said “the New Jersey Devils and HBSE have shown their commitment to women’s hockey in the metropolitan area in a very big way. We are grateful to begin this long-term collaboration with them and are confidenat that together we will grow the game.”
The Riveters, in addition to changing their name from “New York” to “Metropolitan” will also be adopting the Devils’ team colors and will debut new uniforms prior to the start of the season. They will also be collaborating with the Devils to provide coaching instruction clinics for girl’s hockey “along with other community projects.”
In addition, the Devils will be doing cross-promotion with the Riveters on digital and social media as well as on Devils’ game broadcasts to bring awareness of the Riveters in particular and the NWHL in general. A select number of games will be broadcast on The One Jersey Network as well. These will be available to listen to on NewJerseyDevils.com.
The Riveters will also share training areas, rinks and the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House with the Devils. The Riveters will play the rest of their regular season home games (after the home opener – which will be at Prudential Center) at the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House.
Overall, this is a fantastic partnership for both the Riveters and the Devils. It will help raise awareness of the NWHL in the New York metro area while giving the Riveters access to a state of the art rink to play at. It will also raise awareness of girls’ and women’s hockey in general at the grassroots level.