One of the hockey community’s most recognizable charitable organizations for the past seven years is undergoing a facelift and expanding its mission. Defending The Blue Line, an organization devoted to ensuring children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in hockey since 2009, is re-branding itself as United Heroes League with its sights set on helping military kids remain active in all sports.

Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise said finding the time to help out is not a problem when the cause is worthy. (MHM Photo / Scott Tiffany)

Surrounded by several local professional athlete ambassadors including Zach Parise (Minnesota Wild), Tyus Jones (Minnesota Timberwolves), Matt Hendricks (Edmonton Oilers), Ben Utecht (Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl XLI Champion), and Danny Cruz from the Minnesota United FC, DFTBL President and Founder Shane Hudella made the announcement the announcement on Thursday at a press conference at Xcel Energy Center. The ambassadors in attendance were just a few of the 80 pro athletes representing six different sports supporting United Heroes League nationwide.

“It’s a dawning of a new era for us as an organization that will allow us to reach millions more great military families,” Hudella said last week of United Heroes League which operates in 23 different states with benefit distribution to all 50.

United Heroes League will build on the legacy created by Defending The Blue Line and it’s baseball partner Defending The Blue Line, by keeping  military kids healthy and active in all sports while continuing to provide free gear, camps, tickets, and financial grants to military kids from coast to coast. The new brand identity is designed to unite athletes, partners, and supporters across a variety of sports to better serve our nation’s heroes at home and abroad.

As it has since Defending The Blue Line was established and incorporated by a group of active duty soldiers in the spring of 2009, United Heroes League, a 501(c)(3) foundation, will continue accept no public funding and operate solely from private and corporate donations

UHL’s Military Youth Scholarship Program is designed solely to serve the children of military service members with priority given to families who have had a member killed in action, combat wounded or currently serving. Its services are available to both boys and girls of all ethnic and religious backgrounds.

The sustainability of the program has been, and will continue to be, dependent upon grants generously provided by corporate partners with a goal of funding 90% or better of the qualified applicants that apply for assistance. So far, DFTBL has awarded $500,000.00 in scholarships to help cover youth sports registration fees.

United Heroes League believes strongly in promoting an active lifestyle among youth in our country and providing an athletic outlet to the sons and daughters of our nation’s military members.

Thanks to the generous donations of partners like the National Hockey League Players Association and others, along with equipment collected from local gear drives around the country, Defending The Blue Line has distributed over 3,000 sets of equipment to children to date.

Additionally, through the kindness of athletic camps nationwide, Defending The Blue Line has sent more than 2,000 kids to some of the best offseason camps around.

With the help of its National Hockey League and Major League Baseball team and player partners, Defending The Blue Line has given away well over 10,000 tickets to deserving military families to attend sporting events across the country before or after deployment.

The post A New Era Dawns appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Wild D to donate $100 for each hit he is credited with at Xcel Energy Center

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Defending The Blue Line® (DTBL) and Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba today announced the launch of “Dumba’s Hit’s for Heroes” – an initiative to support the charity throughout the 2015-16 National Hockey League (NHL) season. Dumba will donate $100 to DTBL for each hit he records on home ice at Xcel Energy Center during the 2015-16 Minnesota Wild regular season. 

    “Defending The Blue Line provides great assistance for military families and I’m proud to support them with a program fans can get excited for and track throughout the Wild season,” said Dumba. “While I’ve worn the number 24 throughout my career, I wanted to do something special to acknowledge the history and excitement the number holds for Wild fans.”

    Dumba, 21 (7/25/94), recorded 42 hits in 58 regular-season games in 2014-15. The native of Regina, Sask., totaled two hits in two games on home ice at Xcel Energy Center during the 2015-16 preseason.

     “We’re excited to have Matt on board as our latest player ambassador. He’s full of energy, and displays the same values of integrity, work ethic, and commitment that we hold in high regard,” said Shane Hudella, President & Founder of Defending The Blue Line. “His generous gift of the “Dumba’s Hits for Heroes” campaign will be a tremendous help that directly increases the amount of military kids we can get started in hockey this year, and we are very grateful.”

    Defending The Blue Line is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by a group of National Guard soldiers from Minnesota. The charity assists families of all branches of the military with costs associated with hockey, as well as other sports. They provide financial assistance for registration fees, free equipment, summer camps, and send many deserving families on a special night out to watch pro, collegiate, and minor league sports games before or after deployment.

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10) The Jason Pominville Trade – While there was a period of time where we all wondered if this was the best idea for the Wild, it has definitely worked out in the long run. Matt Hackett and Johan Larsson have barely made it out of the AHL this year for Buffalo – which is saying something because the Sabres have brought ‘bad’ to a new meaning– and Jason Pominville has been on fire. He’s got 14 goals and 3 assists this season. His play has been so good, he’s not only gotten himself back into the conversation for selection to the USA Olympic Team, he’s nearly become a lock to be selected in January – after not even big named to the preliminary roster.

9) Don Lucia- While I will be the first to admit Don is a tough nut to crack, I’m a converted man. Every year with a new group of talented young hockey players he turns his team into a contender. There is a lot of turnover in college hockey and Don has been outspoken about the NHL’s lack of rules when it comes to a player leaving early (and I agree with him). But mainly the reason I have become such a Lucia-natic is because of his commitment to Defending the Blue Line—a charity that raises money for children of deployed military members so that they can afford the high price of hockey. This year he not only signed up to run the Twin Cities marathon for DBTL, he went on a media tour and gladly lent his celebrity status to try and get the word out. For a guy who is as intensely private as Don; a guy who never seeks the spotlight I’m fairly certain that was a challenge. However, he did it with grace and I know that it helped quite a bit.

8) 2013 Hermantown Hawks state tourney run – Yeah, they lost to St. Thomas in the state finals but they gave them a run for their money losing 5-4 in a very controversial game. They played that game less than 24 hours after a double-overtime win over Breck. Hermantown played their tails off in their 4^th consecutive trip to the Class A State finals, and 3^rd consecutive year against St. Thomas Academy. It also happened to be their 3^rd consecutive year losing to St. Thomas Academy. We learned that sometimes it’s fun to root for the underdog and that not every story has a happy ending. But that is what makes the State Hockey Tournament so great.

7) Good bye Devin Setoguchi- Sorry Seto, you just never quite earned your way here in Minnesota. You were a distraction in a locker room that was otherwise filled with stand up guys. The trade gave the Wild some much needed cap space and a 2^nd round pick in 2014. You never quite lived up to the 2008-2009 form that you exhibited in San Jose, although you were close to that place last year. However, you did give us this great gem: [youtube id=”FhGtKzUa60o” width=”620″ height=”360″] vs. Montreal in 2012. Now you’ve got 5 goals in 25 games for Winnipeg.

6) Former Gopher Nate Schmidt – Best. Interview. Ever! It was never a canned cliché, Nate Schmidt only spoke from the heart. He almost always made you crack up and you never knew what was coming next. This was pretty much the same way he was on the ice. As an undrafted defenseman the 6-footer from St. Cloud is gutsy, unpredictable and has a rocket shot for a guy his size. He was integral to the Gophers successful seasons over the last two years and he spent just one game this year (so far) in the AHL before being called to the big show…Did I mention he was undrafted?

5) Olympic Hockey – I’m headed to Sochi in February for KARE-11 and I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about an assignment than covering Olympic Hockey. While I do wish they still used college kids, because there is just something cool about a group unknown kids becoming cult heroes (see ex. 1980) I am still pretty excited to watch the NHLers. The guys that I have talked to are definitely pretty excited. I always find it neat to see how much the players get into it. There is no extra money on the line, only pride for your country and the fact that it means that much to them, makes it that much better.

4) Ryan Suter’s ice time – Does this guy EVER get tired? He routinely skates 30 or more minutes per game. In one recent stretch he skated over 91 minutes in three games. He averages 29:33 per game, which is astounding nearly 3 minute more than anyone else in the NHL. But he’s not a that guy in your pick up league that refuses to leave the ice even though he’s sucking wind for the last 5 minutes, he is on the ice because it gives the Wild the best chance to win as 11 of his 15 assists this season come in wins. Simply put, Suter is an anomaly and one that is helping the Wild win.

3) St. Cloud State’s 2013 run – No one gave them a chance. They weren’t the Gophers and they weren’t the Bulldogs of Duluth, they were in the middle. But that was totally cool with them. They won the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season champion on the last weekend of the season and most of the year were ranked in the top ten. For them, none of that mattered because THEY were the last Minnesota team standing and that swagger carried them and captivated the rest of us. The Huskies made it to the Frozen Four behind stand outs that chose SCSU rather than the bigger schools. Drew LeBlanc – a guy who was coming off a terrible injury – made the best comeback of all winning the Hobey Baker award. Yes, the Huskies lost to eventual runner up Quinnipiac but they captured Minnesota’s hearts for the whole run and surely gained a few life-long fans in the process.

2) The Wild being a playoff contending team – While I don’t want to jinx it, the fact that we have an NHL team that seems to be a legit playoff contender is incredibly exciting. The Wild have depth and scoring potential at nearly every position (goaltending being the one in my mind depth could be an issue). Led by an outstanding group of veterans in guys like Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville, to mention a few. They are also getting great play from the lower lines. Nino Niederreiter seems to have found a good fit in Minnesota, Charlie Coyle has continued the great play that he exhibited in last year’s first round playoff series and Justin Fontaine, a guy who barely made the roster coming out of preseason camp, has appeared in 25 games and scored 6 goals. Chuck Fletcher has finally found the right mix of depth and talent and Mike Yeo is making it work. Because the western conference is so tough, I’m not sure if they are championship caliber yet but for the first time in a while this franchise is heading in the right direction.

1) The Gopher Women’s hockey winning streak – I’ve written about it before, but now sadly it’s in the past tense. The Gopher women’s hockey 62-game win streak was in essence one of the most captivating hockey events of the past two seasons. To be better than everyone else for 62 nights in a row, including TWO national championship games, is incredible. They were front page/top story news every night they played. Unfortunately they did lose (even more unfortunately they did so to the very last team that beat them in North Dakota) but I have no doubt that their eyes are on a bigger prize, a third consecutive national title. In a way maybe it’s a good thing that it’s over so that the media won’t be continually reminding them of it. But you’ll have to excuse that media for being a little bummed that I don’t get to cover that history anymore.

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Featured Image:
St. Paul’s Kyle Okposo of the New York Islanders heads up the ice at the Defending the Blue Line NHL Players Charity Game. (MHM Photo By Jeff Wegge)

The stars were shining at Ridder Arena on a sunny Saturday afternoon in August as local pro and college hockey players, along with a few imports, laced up their skates in support ofDefending the Blue Line(DTBL). The Aug. 3 Defending the Blue Line NHL Players Charity Game was nearly a sellout thanks, in large part, to the likes of Minnesotans Kyle Okposo (N.Y. Islanders),Nate Prosser (Minnesota Wild), Matt Hendricks(Nashville Predators), Nate Schmidt (Washington Capitals), Alex Goligoski(Dallas Stars) and Nick Bjugstad (Florida Panthers).

Okposo referred to getting together to skate with familiar faces and showing off for the crowd as a nice break from the summer.

“We have fun with it every year and we’re going to continue to support this great cause,” Okposo said.

A non-profit devoted to keeping children of military families focused and active in hockey to help them deal with the stress of deployment, DTBL provides assistance to players toward participation in hockey camps, aiding with registration fees, donating hockey equipment and providing opportunities to attend National Hockey League games. The Hastings, Minn. based organization has sent over 1,000 children to hockey camps across the country along with giving more than $100,000 in grants to help young children achieve their dreams.

First-time participant Nate Schmidt was impressed by his initial DTBL experience.

“Defending the Blue Line did an unbelievable job today,” Schmidt said. “It was an unbelievable spectacle, the fans were awesome today and it was a great game put on by a great organization.”

In addition to Prosser, Wild players Stephane Veilleux and Josh Harding also took time out to participate. Harding’s debut as a forward, particularly his penalty shot attempt, was easily the highlight of the on-ice action. In fact, the game’s leading goal scorer, NY Islanders forward Eric Boulton with five, played mostly on a line with Harding and Veilleux.

“I’m just happy I didn’t make too much of a fool of myself out there,” Harding said of his effort to play forward for the first time in what he said was 15 years.

Prosser’s initial assessment wasn’t so kind, but he softened a bit.

“He looked like Bambi out there sometimes but, you know, it was good. I was hoping he’d score,” Prosser said of Harding. “He actually looked pretty good. I don’t think I could play that well in goal.”

The exhibition game pitted a team of U.S. players taking on Canada, with a few Minnesotans such as Tom Chorske (Montreal Canadiens), Jimmy O’Brien (Ottawa Senators) and Goligoski helping balance out the rosters. After guiding the U.S. to gold at this year’s World Junior Championships, new Nashville Predators assistant Phil Housley was again at the helm for the U.S. while legendary Minnesota North Star player/coach/executive, Lou Nanne served as Team Canada’s bench boss.

Fans had the option to purchase additional tickets for an opportunity to meet the players and receive autographs prior to the game. The line serpentined from the upper level club room and down a flight of stairs as it stretched to the far end of the Ridder Arena lobby.

“Anytime that you can be a part of this as a professional athlete, you need to,” Harding said. “You need let people know you’re there to support them because there were a lot of people supporting you when you were growing up.”

Team USA prevailed in a 10-8 nail-biter but the day will not be remembered for the game’s outcome; the event’s legacy will be found in the number of children who will benefit from the support shown by both players and spectators.

“It doesn’t matter who wins or loses,” Okposo said. “We’re all winners and the real winner is Defending the Blue Line.”

“To come out to this is such a little thing for us to do but it means a lot,” Harding added. “We just wanted to show our support.”

To make a donation to Defending the Blue Line please visit defendingtheblueline.org.

The post Winners Abound at Defending the Blue Line Charity Game appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.