Hockey is more than just ice and pucks for these disabled N.J. veterans – NJ.com

Community and camaraderie.

They are two important threads firmly woven into the fabric of the New Jersey Warriors hockey program which was created to give disabled U.S. military veteran an opportunity to rehabilitate through hockey.

James Connors is the team’s goalie and a veteran of 7 deployments in the Middle East.

“For male and female veterans whether you’re suffering from PTSD, whether you have a medical issue…all are welcome,” he said at team practice last month at Montclair State University Ice Arena. “It’s a physically demanding game. It’s very rigorous on your knees, on your lower back.

“Sometimes it’ll take me a day and a half to recover, but we love the game so much we just keep getting out there. It clears your mind. There’s nothing like this for us.”

Serving in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, Connors retired early from his job of 17 years as a firefighter with the Teaneck Fire Department, during which time he helped out at Ground Zero.

“I was having a battle with PTSD… but I got myself sober. I got myself together,” he said. “This program is one of the main programs to help channel that.”

Well into a punishing practice, when the rigors of squatting and twisting in the net were really taking their toll on Connor’s 43-year-old body, the banter between Connors and teammate Ryan Miller echoed across the ice, as Miller swooped by Connors, who was positioned in the goal crease – the nickname “Jimmy Jam” emblazoned across the top of his goalie’s mask.

“I’ll do my best to stop the pucks,” Connor said after admitting he was exhausted.

“That’s all we ever ask, buddy,” Miller said.

Kayla Henze, one of two female members of the Warriors, didn’t grow up playing hockey, but she calls herself a natural athlete. She was a Mental Health Technician in the Air Force.

“I spent a lot of time supporting and treating, and being there for people that needed that support and came to us for help and were really in a rough spot in their lives,” she said.

What she says about her teammates applies, whether on the ice during a game or off the ice in daily life. “They always have my back and make sure that they’re always there for me if I need them,” she said. “The community aspect is big for me because I want to be a firefighter and I’m working towards my EMT.”

The New Jersey Warriors were founded when several years ago Mark Puttenvink, who has coaching experience with New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils, heard about a program in Dallas Texas called the Dallas Warriors. He called his good friend Ted Curtin, who also has hockey coaching experience as well as an extensive business background, and asked, “Why don’t we have a program like this in our area?”

The two founders are civilians, so why the interest in helping veterans?

“As you meet veterans you get a sense of their selflessness. And that selflessness is infectious… and inspiring,” Curtin said.

“We forget a lot about our veterans. The stories I could tell you that you can’t print will break your heart in terms of where these people have been and what they’ve seen, and then what they’ve grasped onto in this program and how it’s really been transformative for them.

“We’re a charity recipient but one unique thing about the New Jersey Warriors is all the community outreach we do as a team. That’s driven by the players. It’s incredible. It’s like serving is in their DNA.”

In addition to playing charity games against local hockey teams, including those made up of fire and police personnel, the veterans also participate in many community outreach programs through their partnerships which include USA Hockey and the New Jersey Devils, doing things like helping special needs children learn to skate and have fun on the ice.

“Just to share their love of the game and how much it’s helped them,” Curtin said. “You put anyone on skates and suddenly they’re a kid and they have freedom.

“They served our country and they’re just not done serving. In reality, they’re the ones in need and yet serving is helping them cope, helping them adjust and reintegrate.”

At the end of practice, nearly exhausted from hours on the ice, goalie James Connors was welcomed back into the locker room by teammates already seated on a bench, peeling off their own sweaty shirts, “Jimmy Jam! You alright there, boy? Yeah, Jimmy. You’re a trooper, buddy.”

“The New Jersey Warriors means a lot to me because they have created a community of male and female veterans,” Connors said. “We can call each other, check on each other. We still have camaraderie and we can get together to play hockey and focus on the sport of hockey.” And perhaps most importantly, he adds, “We can also help each other outside of hockey.”

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Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com