You walk through the doors to Prudential Center and are transported into a winter ski lodge. You walk down the red carpet with low LED red lights beaming as you pass by evergreens decoratively lit up and adorn with snow.
You walk through the old Devils locker room, pass by the old tunnel and step out on the main floor. But instead of an ice rink, you are greeted by a curling station in the center. On the edges a jazz band plays while food is served. You walked from one end of the “ice” to the other, passing by some of the most coveted memorabilia available to auction.
You reach the other end of the arena floor and grab a drink at the bar, served by Timo Meier. You stagger through the casino and bump into Jacob Markstrom, Nico Hischier and Connor Brown. You loop back around to the massive gathering near center ice where curling is taking place and watch as Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt give their best curling attempts.
It’s 2026 and you’ve arrived at the Devils annual Sweep the Deck Gala.
“It’s just a great event,” captain Nico Hischier said. “Looking around, there’s so much cool stuff you can do here. It’s a fun night. Me personally, and the team, we’re very happy to be here supporting a great cause and having a fun night.”
“It’s the biggest fundraiser that we do as players joining the Blitzers and what they do with the Devils Youth Foundation,” center Jack Hughes said. “It’s a big deal and we’re happy to be here.”
Monday night at the Prudential Center marked the fifth annual Sweep the Deck Gala, raising over $2 million for the Devils Youth Foundation. People crammed the floors and rubbed elbows with every player in the Devils organization.
“It’s great for us and the fans to connect a little bit, have a chat or have them ask questions they aren’t normally able to,” Hischier said. “Just all around, it’s great people here, great event and for a great cause. That’s what matters the most. We’re all here to raise some money from the Devils Youth Foundation. That’s the big picture.”
The entire Devils roster was in attendance with players participating in various activities with event attendees, including curling, poker, bartending and games.
“It’s a big fundraising night and that’s why we’re all out here,” Hughes said. “Hopefully, Devils Youth Foundation can make a lot of money tonight and it goes to a great cause. That’s our reason for being out here tonight.”
“(Sweep the Deck) is super interactive with our players,” said Allison Blitzer, Chair of the Devils Youth Foundation. “Our players are the best. They all show up. Tonight, in particular, fans can hang out with the players. The players bartend, they curl, they’re dealing cards. Or they can just hang with the players. What an experience to hang out with all these guys who are so talented. It’s pretty special.”
The annual gala benefits the Devils Youth Foundation, which has contributed over $4 million in philanthropic and programmatic support to dozens of non-profit organizations across New Jersey and New York. Some, but not all, include Hockey in New Jersey, Ice Hockey in Harlem, Coalition for Health Equity, Boys & Girls Club of Newark, New City Kids, Newark Day Care, Special Olympics New Jersey, Community Foodbank of NJ, and many, many more.
“Our two focuses, at least tonight, are nutrition and getting kids moving,” Blitzer said. “It’s a big issue here in New Jersey. A million of our neighbors don’t know where they’re getting their next meal. One in eight kids actually don’t know when they’re getting their next meal. That’s not okay. It’s one of the wealthiest states, but 43rd in terms of physical activity for kids.”
The Devils Youth Foundation distributes about $1.4 million in grants targeted at nutrition and solving food insecurity and getting children active. Taking care of kids hits close to home for Blitzer.
“I’m a mom of five kids. My kids are super lucky to have resources and support at the get go,” she said. “Every kid deserves the opportunity to fulfill their potential.”
The first Sweep the Deck Gala was in 2020 and has grown immensely in the proceeding years.
“The evolution of this event, we started pretty small,” Blitzer said. “We have more local partners. We’re having more attendees, raising more money. Our first couple of years we were at the million (dollar) mark. … We hope to be at $2 million (tonight). What that means is more money for those kids who need it the most, and that’s the goal here.”
“To see (the event’s) growth is the most staggering part,” Devils President Jake Reynolds said. “I remember the first year that we hosted this, we walked away saying ‘we think we have something unique, we think we have something special here.’ To fast forward five years later and be able to see this, sold out, to raise over $2 million for the Devils Youth Foundation to give out to non-profits throughout New Jersey. Those combinations, to see the growth is what I’m most proud of and what’s been most impressive.”
