
Community. Children. Bonding. Team. Charity. These are all words that carry their own meaning and weight. But when you put them together, they do a whole lot more.
For four years running, the New Jersey Devils have hosted an annual charity gala named “Sweep The Deck,” which the organization uses to raise money for the Devils Youth Foundation. It also does a lot more than just raise money for a worthy cause. It breaks down the barriers between the team and the community, bringing both sides together for a night of merriment that all involved look forward to each and every year.
“This is one of my favorite events of the entire year,” Devils’ President Jake Reynolds said at the 2025 extravaganza. “It’s just incredible to bring so many people together for such an incredible cause that brings the organization together, our fans together and our players together to help change the lives of the youth of New Jersey.”
Back in 2021, New Jersey’s goal with its’ initial Sweep The Deck Gala was to raise One Million Dollars. A lofty goal, but not one outside its’ ability. Now, in 2025, the benchmark to clear was $1.7M. And clear it they did.
“We’re gonna raise over $1.7 million tonight,” Kate Whitman Annis, Executive Director of the Devils Youth Foundation, said during the event. “Most of that will go out to the community in the spring, so we’re so excited to see the impact that we can have, in New Jersey, on the Youth of New Jersey, through this event…We primarily focus on youth in New Jersey. We have four pillars and our mission is to bring life-changing opportunities to New Jersey’s youth through the power of sports and entertainment. That is where the funds go tonight. We’re so excited to have the buy-in of our fans, our supporters, our players and our team. It’s just been wonderful to work with.”
In case any of you are wondering how the organization can raise such a high level of funds, there’s quite a lot involved with the event. Not only is there the price of admission, but there’s also curling – yes, they replace the ice the team normally plays its games on with a curling sheet – casino-based card games and tons of auction items.
Those are just a handful of the many, many, many items participants can bid on. And let’s be honest, each and every piece in those three photos has no problem fetching a high price.
But before you get the wrong idea, the night is not only about raising money, it’s also about bonding. The fans get to personally bond with the players, team executives and alumni in a way they would never be able to normally. The players also get to bond with each other in a unique, exciting way, rather than just going for dinner or drinks after a game.
“Just getting to know the people who support you,” Stefan Noesen said. “It’s a great event for that. Being a bartender, I love bartending. It’s so much fun. Whenever you don’t have a stressful environment, I think it’s a lot more fun. Getting to meet these people, they’re the ones who bring the energy every single night for us.”
“It’s all around a great thing. Great thing for the team, great thing for the organization,” said Devils’ Captain Nico Hischier. “You look around, there’s so many people here. At the end of the day, it’s for a great cause and just us being here together as a group and it means a lot to our owners. We know that. I know how much this whole thing means to them and it means a lot to us players as well. Just to give something back to the community. It’s always great to be part of…It’s a great way to come together as a team too. Just have a night off Ice hockey. (We) obviously focus a lot on ice hockey by talking, but like, not playing, so it’s still something different.”
“Anytime you bring everybody together in a different setting than just a hockey setting, this is where you kind of create memories and you start having fun,” Devils’ legend Martin Brodeur added on. “Hopefully a couple guys will go out and curl and I’m sure they’re gonna be making fun of each other because that’s not an easy sport to do.”
Hmmm…hockey players attempting to curl, that sounds right up their alley. Then again, playing poker and other casino-based games also feels like it should be right up the alley for professional athletes. I wonder which current Devils players will dabble in curling and poker throughout the night.
Brodeur at least has a gut feeling about which two players might be the best at poker and curling. “I would say poker player would be (Stefan) Noesen, I would assume. And curler, maybe Dougie (Hamilton) would be a good curler.”
“I play blackjack, but no poker,” Noesen quipped. “I don’t have the patience for poker. I’m a go, go, go guy. Sitting there and reading people, could probably read ’em, but it’s not, poker’s not my thing.”
So much for Brodeur’s gut feeling…
Getting back to the main task at hand, it’s an impressive night for sure. And growing this event is no easy task.
“We have new partners who come on every year,” said Kate Whitman Annis. “I think it’s that buzz around the event. This is our fourth year and people kind of know what’s happening. They know the impact they can have and the fun they can have tonight. So I think the partners love to come. They love to bring their groups, interact directly with the players and our team leadership, our GMs, our coaches and our ownership. Everyone’s here supporting the foundation because we really lean in. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment is amazing that way. They lean into the community. They’re really active and part of the community in and around Newark and across New Jersey…This event can grow exponentially…We have so much fun every year. People talk about it, they get excited and they wanna be a part of it. So I think there’s no ceiling on what we can grow it to.”
“If you continue to grow at 10% a year, like, compounding is a pretty powerful tool,” Devils Co-Owner David Blitzer explained. “So I’d love to just see continued steady growth every single year.”
That steady growth is something that teams across The NHL have taken notice of, as the Devils’ annual Sweep The Deck Gala is generally talked about as one of the best team-based events of the year.
“We certainly get a lot of feedback, generally from the other teams, in terms of their executives,” Blitzer continued. “I’ve talked to a few owners about what we do and what they do and what we feel our impact is or some of the numbers, but it’s not like I’ve talked to 29 other owners (about the numbers). Listen, everyone tends to be quite proud of the events that they put on. But I think this event is known out there as something that’s just fun, impactful and that everyone gets behind, from the fans to the executives, to the players, to the community. And again, bringing that all together is super fun to see.”
“Our goal is to win a Stanley Cup,” said Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald. “But that doesn’t take away from giving back to the community. My belief as an ex-athlete is that’s part of our responsibility. How you act on the ice, how you act off the ice and how you interact with your fan base (because that’s who) actually pays you salary. It’s an easy thing to give back. And I think it’s part of our responsibility.”
The fact that the Devils organization feels a “responsibility,” from ownership down to the players, shows just how important nights and events like this are. Anybody can raise money. But not everybody can create a unique experience that keeps people coming back year after year. As David Blitzer quipped at one point, he said the only “negative” was that it was so popular that the line was out the door. If that’s the only “negative” then the Devils are sitting in a pretty damn good spot with their Sweep The Deck Gala.
And Team President Jake Reynolds wrapped it up best. “To be ingrained in this community is incredible. To be the only team who represents New Jersey in our name and on our chest. We take a tremendous amount of pride in that. New Jersey is a state where, when things get tough, people come together. So there are opportunities for us to be able to come together and make a difference. And that’s what this night is all about.”
For those wishing to check out more about the event please visit: https://devilsyouthfoundation.org/events/