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Chico Resch to Serve as Radio Color Analyst and Team Ambassador

In a press release on the Devils’ website today, they announced that former team goaltender and TV analyst, Glenn “Chico” Resch, will be returning as the team’s radio color analyst alongside play-by-play man Matt Loughlin. He will also serve as a “team ambassador” the duties of which will include “participating at community relations and corporate events, youth hockey clinics, and in grassroots inititives on behalf of the Devils” according to the press statement.

Chico, who played for the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils organization for six years after being traded to Denver from the Islanders in 1980, worked MSG Network game broadcasts for 18 years alongside Mike “Doc” Emrick and Steve Cangialosi. He retired back in 2014 to move home to Minnesota due to his wife’s sister dealing with an illness.

“We’re thrilled to have Chico back in the organization as a member of our broadcast team and in an important role as team ambassador” said Ray Shero in the release. Shero went on to mention the incredible bond Chico has with the fans of the Devils.

For Chico’s part, he is excited to be back, stating “I have an incredible passion for the New Jersey Devils and the game of hockey, and it’s exciting to be a part of this organization as it builds around such promising young players. I know firsthand how dedicated the Devils fanbase is and I’m looking forward to engaging with them through my work as a broadcaster and team ambassador.”

Chico, of course, replaces Sherry Ross, who was let go earlier this spring. While it is disappointing in the way the Devils treated Ross, it is good to have someone like Chico come in to soften the blow. It would be great to also hear that Sherry Ross has caught on with another team as well, since she deserves as much.

Chico will be doing his thing on WFAN, for the 13th year the Devils’ flagship radio station. The press release mentions that games can also be heard on The One Jersey Network through WFAN.com. This will allow Devils fans to follow the Devils on the road even during the fall season when college football, Yankees playoff games or Giants football might be heard on the WFAN radio dial.

This is good news for Devils fans, especially those who grew up listening to Doc and Chico on TV. Although Ken Daneyko is the one and only “Mr. Devil,” Chico has to rank as a close second. As was stated in the press release, Chico has a very good relationship with the fans and has been with the team through almost everything. From the early days to the Stanley Cup years of 2000 and 2003, Chico was there – he joined the broadcast team the year after the 1995 Cup, missing the trifecta by one year. It is only fitting that as the team embarks on another climb to the top, Chico is there with them.

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Prudential Center to Host WFAN/Boomer & Carton Mikey Strong Charity Game

On April 21, the Prudential Center will play host to the third annual WFAN/Boomer & Carton Mikey Strong “23” Charity Hockey Game. The game will be raising funds for the Nichols Family Trust and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Proceeds from the game will go to these funds.

The game is named for Mike Nichols, a Monroe High School hockey player “who sustained a spinal cord injury” on January 4, 2014.

According to NewJerseyDevils.com/MikeyStrong, from where you can purchase tickets, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is “dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for individuals living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.”

Involved will be WFAN personality and former New York Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason and his radio partner Craig Carton as well as former NHL stars. From the Rangers will be ex-players Tom Laidlaw, Tie Domi and Brad Richards; from the Islanders will be goaltender Rick DiPietro and from the Devils will be Ken Daneyko.

According to the site, general admission tickets are $20 and are on sale right now. Doors will open for the 7:30 PM game at 6:30 PM. In addition to a great evening of hockey for a good cause, all fans in attendance will receive a ticket voucher from the Devils good for two free tickets to a game during the upcoming 2017-18 season and the first 5,000 fans to arrive will receive a ticket voucher from the New York Yankees good for two tickets to a 2017 game. Restrictions on the vouchers do apply, so I would advise checking the Devils’ site for information on that.

If you want to give but cannot attend the game, or if you wish to give more than the face value of the tickets, you can do so at NewJerseyDevils.com/MikeyStrong. They have a link on the site to Mike Nichols’ page at the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation’s website. All donations made there will go to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and the Nichols Family Trust.

This should be a great event to benefit a pair of great charities. Mike Nichols was a New Jersey high school hockey player who was given a terrible blow in life, but he has been working hard to overcome his injuries and is giving back while doing so. Good luck to all involved and I hope they raise a lot of funds for the charities.