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After months of planning, The Second 20th Century New Jersey Hockey Reunion is a mere six weeks away. If you haven't purchased your ticket(s) yet, it's time. Ticket prices will progressively increase as we get closer to the event date. Delaying your purchase creates a burden for planning this event. More than $5,000 has already been invested to ensure Reunion 2025 exceeds everyone's expectations. Here's a short video to get you moving. Don't put this off. Purchase your ticket, sign up for the Old Timer Game, and add a Reunion polo if you need something to wear. We're almost there. Just do it. https://www.njhockeyhistory.com/reunion-2025

The Sheraton in Parsippany, NJ, a Marriott property, has been designated as the official hotel for the Second 20th Century Hockey Reunion. Conveniently located at the intersection of I-80 & I-287, the Sheraton is only six-miles from The Hanover Manor in East Hanover, NJ. An 11-minute drive (on a good day in New Jersey). The hotel features a full complement of amenities, including a full-service dining room for breakfast, lunch & dinner - opening at 7:00 am till 10:00 pm each day. The bar is open from 4:00 pm to 2:00 am on Friday and Saturday nights. A limited number of rooms, which include a buffet breakfast, have been reserved for Thursday 10/16, Friday 10/17 & Saturday 10/18. Here is the Booking Website: https://book.passkey.com/e/51055355 Rooms MUST be reserved no later than Thursday, September 11, 2025. If you're traveling from afar for the Old Timers Game and/or Reunion 2025, this will be a comfortable place to park your butt. I'll buy the first round.

Reunion 2025 Adult & Kid tickets, tables of 10 or 12, and Old Timers Game slots are now available for purchase in the NJHH Store. The Second 20th Century NJ Hockey Reunion, in conjunction with the New Jersey Golden Blades 50th Anniversary, will take place on Friday, October 17, 2025, at The Hanover Manor in East Hanover, NJ. Anyone involved in New Jersey amateur hockey (and their children), born prior to 2001 are invited to attend. The Adult ticket price is $125. Kid ticket price is $75 and includes $50 in Reunion Bucks that can be used for purchases at our NJHH Merchandise table the night of the event - maybe some Holiday gifts for dad. Each ticket purchase includes a FREE Reunion 2025 or NJ Golden Blades 50th Anniversary magnet or bumper sticker. Be a part of one of the most amazing events in New Jersey hockey history. We hope to see you in October. Life is too short to pass up this event. Tables are now available. Talk to your friends and former teammates to put together a table of 10 or 12 and experience your own mini reunion within the larger reunion. It's a win-win. Table purchases include: one free ($125) ticket per table, customized table art, priority placement, a full-page ad in the Reunion Souvenir Program. and other perks.   NJHH Old Timer Game. Dust off your old equipment and take part in a fun event the night before the Second 20th Century Reunion. The NJHH Old Timers Game will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at South Mountain Arena (Richard J. Codey Arena) in West Orange, NJ. Blades down at 10:00pm. Relive your hockey memories on the "BIG RINK" at SMA. You may never get another chance.  The non-checking event will be limited to thirty participants, born in the 20th Century (prior to 2001). Slots, limited to thirty total forwards, defensemen & goaltenders, are offered on a first-come-first served basis.  Each participant will receive a commemorative jersey. Even if you're not planning to participate, stop in at SMA on Thursday night for some reminiscing with old friends. Reunion Ad Program. If you can't make it to the Reunion, or even if you can, help offset the costs associated with hosting this event by purchasing an ad and including a personal message in the Souvenir Program. These funds help cover the cost for printing, postage, banners, magnets/stickers, table art and other material things. No one benefits financially from the funds contributed to NJHH.   Click this link to download a Reunion Ad Order Form . It's going to be AWESOME!!!

Well, a hockey brother's son. David Pecora is from Livingston, NJ, and played for the State Champion Livingston High School Lancers in 1980. He's living in Georgia today and his son, Nicholas has been selected to represent our country playing for the USA Deaf National Hockey Team, who will be competing in the World Deaf Ice Hockey Championship in May. Nicholas is excited for this dream come true and in a poignant open letter has asked for help to offset the expense for this ten-day trip to Vancouver, BC. Here's the link to his Square page - https://square.link/u/wOedloCq I know we're asked too often to help some cause, but this is different - it's special. Please consider helping this exceptional young man pursue his dream, allowing him to focus all his attention on the game we all love. Below is Nicholas's letter. You decide. Dear Family and Friends,   I am writing to share some exciting news and to ask for your support as I embark on an incredible journey representing the USA Deaf National Hockey Team at the World Deaf Ice Hockey Championships. This prestigious event will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from May 7th to May 17th, 2025. Being selected to play for the USA Deaf National Hockey Team is a tremendous honor and a dream come true. It represents the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and passion for the sport. Competing at the highest level against six other international teams is an opportunity that I have long aspired to achieve. However, attending the World Deaf Ice Hockey Championship comes with significant costs, including travel, accommodation, equipment, and other expenses. As an athlete, these financial burdens can be daunting. Therefore, I am reaching out to you to seek your generous support in helping me defer these costs. Your contribution, no matter the amount, will make a substantial difference and will be deeply appreciated. It will enable me to focus on training and competing without the added stress of financial constraints. If you wish to contribute, please consider donating through  https://square.link/u/wOedloCq  Additionally, sharing this letter with others who might be interested in supporting my journey would be immensely helpful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your consideration and support. I am genuinely grateful for your belief in me and my dreams. Together, we can make this incredible experience possible and represent our country with pride and honor. Warmest regards, Nicholas Pecora USA International Deaf Hockey Team Here's the link to David Pecora's Who's Who profile: https://www.njhockeyhistory.com/who-s-who/pecora%2C-david

This popped up on my timeline yesterday and it caused me to pause... and think. It needed some modification.   I know dozens, maybe hundreds who still have solid friends from PeeWee (6th & 7th Grades), Squirt (4th & 5th Grades) and even Mite (2nd & 3rd Grades). It may have been the result of playing together for several years, or it may have just been that one special season. There's something about this sport of ours that binds people closer together. I don't know if it's the long seasons, the sweat, the conversations in the locker room or the car, or the uncompromising commitment to defend and support one's team and teammates without question. It's why I'll debate hockey, in any form, as being the greatest sport on earth!   When a parent chooses hockey for their son or daughter, they're not simply providing another activity. It's a mind, body and character-building experience you can't find in any book or video. It can't be packaged or reproduced. There are no shortcuts. It has to be lived. Know that should youngsters stick with it, rest assured they'll have "solid" friends for their entire life. Birthdays, weddings, funerals. They'll never have to go it alone.   I'd love for someone studying social science to write a thesis exploring the above statement. I know it's true. I don't understand why. Maybe it's not important. On October 17th, many of those friendships forged decades ago will be rekindled at The Second 20th Century New Jersey Hockey Reunion. Proof positive the above is true. https://www.njhockeyhistory.com/reunion-2025

Early Access tickets, discounted at $100, are now on sale for The Second 20th Century New Jersey Hockey Reunion to be held on Friday, October 17, 2025, at The Hanover Manor in East Hanover, NJ. Head on over to the NJHH Store to purchase your ticket, along with other Reunion/Anniversary merchandise. Each ticket purchase includes a FREE Reunion/Anniversary magnet or bumper sticker. Refunds, less a small transaction fee, will be honored until September 1, 2025. So, there's little risk in purchasing a ticket early. If you would prefer to pay by personal check, you can go to our Reunion 2025 page and download a ticket order form. Any player, parent, coach, manager, official or administrator involved in New Jersey amateur hockey and born before 2001 are invited to attend. It's going to be awesome. Life is too short to pass up this event. Even if you're not ready to purchase a ticket, pick up a magnet or bumper sticker to display on your ride to let everyone know where you'll be on October 17th. All Reunion 2025 / Golden Blades Anniversary magnets and stickers ship free. Now's the time to start talking to friends and former teammates about putting together a table, so you could enjoy a mini-reunion with your close friends, while being a part of the larger reunion with hundreds from across the State. Table purchases will include a ticket discount, custom table art, a free program ad and other perks. Tables, including complete details will be available beginning June 1, 2025.   I'm looking forward to seeing all of you in October.

Introducing the New Jersey Amateur Hockey Who's Who - a new feature launching today on the NJHH website. Who's Who is a comprehensive listing of individuals, past and present, associated with New Jersey's rich hockey history. Each of us has a story. Here's your chance to tell your story for the world to see… today, and for future generations in the years to come. Browse through the current Who's Who list to get an idea of what your profile may look like. The registration process is simple. Go to the Home Page and make a $5.00 (or more) donation, checking the box, "Please send me a Who's Who Registration Form." We'll walk you through the required steps. All donations are earmarked to offset the expense associated with hosting the site, ensuring NJHockeyHistory will be active long into the future. Entries are searchable via Google, Bing and the NJHH website.   Share this post with your hockey friends so they can add their names to the database. After hundreds, or even thousands of names have been added, it will become the go-to destination to find details of former teammates, coaches, associates and friends.   Be a part of what is sure to become the most comprehensive list of its kind.     Some additional info. Registration is limited to those 18 and older, living or deceased. The $5.00 (or more) donation will provide you a registration entry, and one optional entry for a child, sibling or a dad who may have been associated with New Jersey amateur hockey as a player, coach, official, manager or administrator. If NJHH doesn't already have them, we'll need "then and now" front facing photos to accompany your entry. Dynamic links to the New Jersey High School Ice Hockey HoF, Hockey DB and other notable sites will be added to your profile where applicable. NJHH reserves the right to reject or edit any entries deemed inappropriate or inaccurate.

Good ideas never die. They get tabled until the next opportunity comes along. Welcome to the THR Blog. A throwback to The Hockey Review, an amateur hockey newspaper - one of the first of its kind, that I began publishing in 1977. A lot has changed these past fifty years, and I thought, 'why not bring back THR via a new medium', So, here we are. Michael Leuzzi - a familiar name to most, has been appointed Editor-in-Chief, and will be searching out a few writers for his staff. In addition, we're planning to provide opportunities for guest writers to contribute to the blog. I'm honestly not sure where this is going yet, but expect to see fresh New Jersey amateur hockey editorial content along with some history mixed in. And, of course, future Reunion news. We'll try to keep the writing upbeat and fair and ask that you do the same with your comments. I hope I don't have to ban anyone for misbehaving. You will need an account to comment on posts, though I promise none of your personal information will be shared outside this website. It only takes a couple minutes with minimal info required (name and email address). Tells your friends about our new blog, especially those who don't subscribe to Facebook. What better way to stay updated and informed of New Jersey hockey happenings. Thank you.

Turn some heads at the rink, on the course, or wherever with these classic design New Jersey Rockets caps and polos. Add a car/refrigerator magnet to complete the look. Browse the NJHH Store for Brewers, Golden Blades, Olympic Stars, Garden State, Monmouth Hawks, Essex County Chiefs and NJ Rockets polos, caps and magnets. See something listed for Pre-Order - go ahead and place your order. We'll bring the item into our inventory and have it headed your way in two to three weeks. These Yesteryear designs are conversations starters and make for great gifts this holiday season.

It's time to clear up an urban legend. The columnist who wrote SKATESTEPS for The Hockey Review was none other than Joe Cheslock, a boyhood friend of Ben Leuzzi's. He was a bit down on his luck and in 1975 Ben decided to give Joe new purpose in his life by making him the Assistant Coach of the New Jersey Golden Blades Midget AA team. The players immediately connected with Joe and treated him with the upmost respect. We all loved Joe. Joe was a student of the game and was constantly conveying his observations to the players on the ice or the bench. With his life experiences came vast wisdom. He was not short on opinions and always spoke his mind freely - never holding back. Here's one of I Seymour's columns from July 14, 1977. Rest in peace, Joe. WHAT SYSTEM ? ? ? Does it exist?? If it does is it working? And when I speak of the system I am speaking of offensive, defensive organizational play in youth hockey. In my vision, although some might say it has been distorted by the plexiglass, attempts have been made to implement the system and it works at best until the ice has been covered with shavings. It's our fault. You, me, organizational leaders, parents and all those interested gallery gods who watch the youth in action and never offer any suggestion or the self-proclaimed professional who never volunteers. Only discipline will make the system, which is based on fundamentals, work when those responsible do their best to see that it is used. For example, in a practice, skating drills in all its variations are droned upon then simply forgotten in the scrimmage or game as forwards or defensemen refuse to break to skating stride on the tips if their skates. In full stride they won't bob or weave crossovers with an attempt deft stickhandling or playmaking with variations of the pass to the open man who should be there. It is a six-player effort, from the back ice to the opposition goal; not with the best six players or combination thereof; but with the full roster. And why should need a coach need a program or introduction to meet new players at gametime, which has become an addicted habit of a high organizational man. The faithful, for better or worse, come first and ring of perspiration and toil in practice for the ringers. And it's a two-way system built on two-way honest hockey players. To gain possession of the puck all players must skate their checks tightly. Back checking wings sometimes fail to keep their checks between themselves & the boards to cut down the lateral movement of the check so the defensemen can hit. Centers, who should be the strongest and most heady skaters continue to drift aimlessly waiting and watching the work being done in hopes of a loose puck or gift. Defensemen must become aggressive, lateral movements and timing sharpened for body checking and an alert goaltender who can direct all in the defensive zone. I mention only a few of the most glaring mistakes in regard to fundamentals. What are your suggestions?

We have a nice collection of photos and other artifacts from 1972-75 recently added to the archive. We'll start with the 1972-73, 1973-74 & 1974-75 East Side High School team photos, courtesy of Jose Ramalhosa, who manages the East Side High School Ice Hockey Alumni Group. Lot of familiar faces, including fellow Skate Guards, Phil Sellinger and Richie Wojtasiak. It's kind of amazing that when Ironbound opened in September 1971, many of these kids had never been on skates or had worn hockey equipment. And one year later, the City of Newark (NJ) fielded four high school hockey teams. Today, most kids who play high school hockey started playing when they were six. Many of these kids started playing when they were fifteen! Reminds me of a goaltender from Staten Island who started playing hockey as a teenager and was invited to "three" NHL tryouts, attending two. Just sayin'.  We have a 1973 Ocean Hockey School Intermediates group photo, contributed by Jim Bracco. Lots of familiar faces. Kenny Gesner, Bryan Kull, Jeff Bastone, Tommy Kennelly, Mike Ashton. I worked as the OHC off-ice counselor for the last two sessions that summer, as Bob Sarnas - NY Raiders/NY Golden Blades Equipment Trainer had to leave his counseling gig early to get ready for training camp. I believe this was Session 4 - first two weeks of August. About half of these kids (the rest were day students) were with me for two weeks at a hotel in Lakewood, NJ, along with another fifteen or so Juniors & Seniors. I shuttled them back and forth from the hotel to Ocean Ice Palace twice a day in the rinks Ford station wagon. I was seventeen and had nearly thirty kids to look after 24/7. No one got hurt, lost, or arrested.   From contributor, Jason Gleicher - the first submission to our new website, there's a 1973-74 photo of the Bergen-Rockland Mites, who played that season at Fritz Dietl's in Westwood, NJ. That rink was just the right size for Mites. Jason tells me they moved up to Low Tor the following season. That was a little bigger - not much.   If you can identify most of the players in any of these team photos, you can help us and others by providing the left to rights using the "Fill in The Blanks Submission Form" on the Gallery page. It only takes a few minutes, though it will help others find their faces in the archive. That's a good thing.   There are a couple 1974 articles contributed by Bobbi Carlon, the first featuring an upcoming Bergen Brewers vs. Hawthorne College game. I remember that game well - reminiscent of Slap Shop. The NJ State Troopers on-site made sure everyone from Hawthorne College was on their bus and departed before they would let anyone out of our Brewers locker room. And a Brick High School Alumni game article that ended in a 5-5 tie. Perfect score for an alumni game. Finally, a 1974 Torspo hockey stick that I've previously neglected to add to the archive. Torspo was a new stick brand from Finland, attempting to compete with Koho - the top stick at the time. Tom Granelli, Brewers GM convinced Torspo to send him eight-dozen sticks to test. I picked them up at the Newark Airport North Terminal that spring before the Brewers moved from Newark to the Bergen Mall. The sticks were painted yellow, which rubbed off on the palm of player's gloves. Torspo's claim to fame was a seven layer laminated shaft, with short voids inside in the stick's shaft every couple inches. It was supposed to make the sticks lighter and more flexible. That was all good, but the blades sucked - like they were made of glass. This stick is fifty years old and has never touched the ice.   You can find these new artifacts and nearly 600 others in the NJHH Gallery. Enter your name into Search and take a step back to a simpler time. More to follow in the coming weeks.

We'll start with a rare photo of the Newark Sabres, contributed by Chuck Prestinarri, that we're going to date as 1975-76 based on the roster. Question: Did Tim Mullin play on every men's team in New Jersey from 1970 to 1980 something? He's in every photo! I worked a bunch of games as the trainer for the Sabres when the Brewers moved to Bergen Mail in 1973-74. I was an assistant trainer with the Brewers, but as I was working at Ironbound I was available for some games. I recall one road trip to Sky Rink, and another harrowing trip, I think to Rochester NY, where the alternator in the bus went bad on the way there. The driver was able to hobble the bus to the arena and spent the next eight hours working on a solution to get us home. A few hours after the game we were still stuck there with a light snow coming down. The battery didn't have enough juice to start the engine, so we all had to push to jump start it.  On the ride back Charlie and Jack provided sub sandwiches and cans of beer. The bus had no heat and the headlights were so dim you could barely see them. I tried to sip a beer, but the can stuck to my lips. It was freezing. We got back to Ironbound at the crack of dawn. It was another semi-pro hockey adventure.   Next, a 1975-76 photo of the Bergen Mall Vikings from contributor Jim Bracco. Not sure of the age level (likely Bantam) or whether this was a house league or travel team. I don't remember the Viking name from the NJYHL. Maybe someone can help with identifying. Finishing up team photos, from Tom Levis the 1980-81 Morristown Beard Middle School hockey team. You'll see some familiar faces in this image, including the one and only Arin Krich.  If someone knows the left and rights for any of these photos, head on over to the Gallery and help us Fill In The Blanks . You'll be helping others. It's the right thing to do. You can find these photos and 200 others in the Team Photos Collection These next five entries have been added to our Odds & Ends collection. First, the Rocky Rockets page from the 1980 Garden State Rockets Mid-America Regional Program at Ice World. Our GS Rockets PeeWee AA team had a weekend road trip to Valley Forge, PA  and we decided to take a bus. The driver was a friend who transported all the Golden Blades and Garden State teams for the previous five years. I asked if we could stop at the museum so the boys could run up the steps. Rocky II was in theaters and all the kids got pumped up every time the music came on. As with all best laid plans, this one had some drawbacks. The bus driver had to talk his way out of a ticket when a Philadelphia police officer stopped to advise we needed a permit to park the bus and get off, even for a few minutes. John Diglio brought a video camera he borrowed from Montclair State to film the event. But the case for the huge shoulder camera was under the bus and the camera got so cold he couldn't get it to work. Leon Krich snapped these iconic photos. Adam Diglio twisted his ankle running up, or down the steps. Fortunately, we made one other stop before the museum stop at Mitchell & Ness in downtown Philadelphia. They were a core supplier for Cramer Trainer Products. I needed some supplies and Ben Leuzzi needed ten cases of Cold Packs that he had ordered for Verona Sports Center. Picking them up was a lot cheaper than UPS. There we were running back and forth across Arch Street carrying boxes of cold packs and other supplies. I was able to ice up Adam's ankle on the bus. Hockey adventures - we all have a few. Next, the 1980 Golden Puck Award presented to Jimmy Elia, and the 1984 Golden Puck presented to Mike Buteau. My father, who was a tool & die maker, made me solid-steel two-pound pucks with the exact dimensions of a regulation puck including the edge serrations. No, I didn't ask him to engrave, "MADE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA" on the side, though that would have been cool. The metal pucks were dipped in zinc to prevent rust and then 14k gold plating by a company in Belleville, who also made a gold-plated skate blade (from Joe Tracy's skate) that we presented to Ben Leuzzi after the first Golden Blades season in 1976. I encased the awards in velvet lined, hand crafted crates made from skid wood I collected at work. The front and top lifted off to display the award. Only four Golden Pucks were presented - the first going to Jerry DeLeo in 1978-79  for his outstanding performance with the Garden State Rockets Bantam AA team - credited with more than half the teams winning goals that season. I wanted to make something unique and memorable to acknowledge his accomplishments.  The other Golden Puck went to Arin Krich in the 1979-80 3rd In Nation season. The inscription on each award was simple, "IF YOU THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN." All those who received one believed in those words. We have a still shot, pulled from a video of a 1985 East Side vs. Milburn High School game at the Ironbound Recreation Center. Usually the color commentator, it was the first game Peter Caggiano ever did the play-by-play. Peter admitted afterward he was nervous calling the game. He brought Phil Szymanski, my cousin, in to fill his shoes that night. Phil was involved with the Ironbound Instructional Ice Hockey League from the very beginning. He introduced me to Bill Kimmelman in September 1971, starting my eighteen year journey in New Jersey amateur hockey. Phil was a referee and a goaltender for a Junior team called the Rutherford Oysters, who played at Ironbound on Saturday nights when the Brewers weren't playing.  I recall he was also involved with HAA, the Hockey Association of America started by, I believe Joe Mello, a guy from the Cranford area. Finally, a split image of the 1984 Shootout at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD. The 1983-84 Essex County Chiefs PeeWee AA's were in Washington for the weekend and we were invited to participate in a between-period shootout with a couple Washington Jr. Capitals players during an NHL Edmonton Oilers vs. Washington Capitals afternoon game. We chose Brad Pearson - our #1 goalie and Mike Buteau, our leading scorer to participate. I prepped the boys for their five minutes of fame in the locker room during the second period, checking blade edges, tightening skates and taping sticks. All four boys were led out a few minutes before the period ended. There was a single rubber runner, two-feet wide, leading from the rink door down the tunnel to the visiting team locker room. With a minute to go, a Capital Centre attendant told the boys they had to step off the runner onto the concrete to make room for the players exiting the ice. I said, "NO WAY". I ran back to the locker room and pulled a few towels out of my trainer bag. I laid them on the concrete and lifted each boy, setting them down a few feet away. The horn sounded ending the period, the door opened and the Edmonton Oilers filed off the ice past these wide-eyed kids. Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Fuhr. It was amazing. I followed the boys on the ice and photographed the event with my Canon XLR, shooting 36 frames with my auto-advance set at three frames per second. These are Mike's two goals - glove side on both. We won the shootout 2-0, to the crowds dismay. An amazing experience for all of them. Do you have some artifacts to share? It's not hard and benefits everyone in the New Jersey hockey community. Go to our Submissions page and tell us what you've got.