Devils, Stone Pony Unite on Customized Jersey | FEATURE

Asbury Park is known for many things. The beaches. The boardwalk. And the music.

And nothing symbolizes the connection between the area and music quite like the famous Stone Pony concert venue.

What separates this historic setting is both its connection to the local community and its “Drop In” culture. Bruce Springsteen – a local native – jumping in unannounced for a recent benefit or Jon Bon Jovi showing up at a kids’ Christmas pageant are some of the unique occurences every year at the venue, which recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2024.

On Feb. 25 when the Devils host the Buffalo Sabres, there will be a new kind of drop in. The Stone Pony is dropping in at the Prudential Center and teaming up with the Devils to create a custom jersey. After the game, a team signed jersey will be auctioned off with the profits benefiting local Asbury Park charities.

It’s all part of many activations surrounding the Devils’ Down the Shore Night. The jersey is the symbol of two iconic brands uniting for a good cause.

“To be associated with the Devils is just amazing,” said Caroline O’Toole, General Manager of the Stone Pony. “It expands beyond Asbury Park and makes it more of a statewide community.”

“The Pony wanted to collaborate with the New Jersey Devils to celebrate the Jersey Shore and be able to highlight the communities, and charities in our communities,” said Chloe Grochowski, the Stone Pony Venue Marketing Coordinator.

The dark red jersey sports the black NJ Devils logo on the crest. But inside the NJ features the iconic Stone Pony white horse, but modified with a Devil’s tail to symbolize the collaboration.

The designer used a “New Jersey” pattern to fill the inside of the crest. The custom pattern features sketches of Asbury Park staples, such as a bagel, seagull, waves and the sun.

“We really wanted to bring in both brands,” Grochowski said. “Both of us have recognizable logos, so we wanted to make something original that fans in both places would still be able to recognize and celebrate.”

The right shoulder displays a guitar patch of the actual guitar that was used for the 2022 New Jersey Devils Draft Party. The guitar currently hangs on the “New Jersey Wall” inside the Stone Pony. The guitar is white with a red Devils logo near the bottom.

The left shoulder shows the famous Stone Pony marquee reading “NJ Devils x Stone Pony.”

Postcard lettering on the top left of the front crest says “Greetings From” is a nod to the classic “Greetings from Asbury Park” postcard (and Springsteen album art).

The jersey has a splash of Devils, splash of Stone Pony , splash of rock ‘n roll. It’s quintessential Jersey Shore and quintessential New Jersey. And while the jersey is stylish, it's the auction proceeds that will do the real world work.

Among the charities that will receive the proceeds from the jersey sales are Mercy Center and Community Karma.

The Mercy Center feeds 150 families and helps 6,000 victims of domestic violence, while also sheltering 30-40 handicapped homeless people in Asbury Park.

“People think we’re living in the land of music, and we are,” said Kim Guadagno, CEO of Mercy Center, “but we’re also feeding and helping people that need it the most.”

Guadagno is a huge hockey and Devils fan. All three of her sons play the sport and she spoke with the Devils official website while wearing a hockey jersey featuring the No. 22 that her son wears.

“I’m a huge fan, as you can see,” Guadagno said motioning to the jersey. “The Devils do so much in the community, highlighting our efforts, highlighting the needs, especially in this cold. It shows people can work together and collaborate to help everybody’s lives turn out to be a little nicer.”

Community Karma runs a toy drive at concerts. Fans bring toys to the show and bands shout them out from the stage. The partnership with the Stone Pony has allowed Community Karma to support over 500 more children last year alone.

“Community Karma is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, and we support children and families that are underserved in the greater Asbury Park community,” said Asbury Park native Ketsia Beaubrun, a board member of Community Karma. “We do that through our signature events annually, which are our toy drive and backpack drive. We do that in collaboration with all community members, local businesses and our amazing partners like the Stone Pony and Mercy Center.”

Community Karma has worked almost exclusively within the local community. But now, partnering with the Devils for Down the Shore Night, they’re going statewide. And it couldn’t be a better fit.

“I can’t imagine the reach we would have and the impact we could make with the collaboration with the Devils,” Beaubrun said. “I think Devils fans are diehard, and Asbury Park has diehard people as well.”