United Heroes League named 2026 NHL Stick Tap for Service winner

Shane Hudella said it all began with a question from Brent Burns and Derek Boogard.

It was 2008, and Hudella was at Xcel Energy Center -- now Grand Casino Arena -- dressed in his U.S. Army uniform when Burns and Boogard, then members of the Minnesota Wild, approached him.

“Burns literally snatched me up off the street and said, ‘Hey, Army guy, come here. Me and my pal here play for the Wild, and we want to give back to the troops, what kind of organizations are out there that we can give back to military families through hockey?’” Hudella said. “There weren't any, so I just decided overnight that I'd start a nonprofit. How hard can that be?”

Nearly 18 years later, the United Heroes League is going strong. The nonprofit organization provides support for the children of military service members and lowers barriers for them to participate in youth sports by offering free equipment, running skill-development camps, awarding cash grants and creating special experiences for military families.

It's why the UHL is the winner of the 2026 NHL Stick Tap for Service, presented by Navy Federal Credit Union.

The Stick Tap for Service program recognizes the outstanding community service of hockey fans and military members. The program’s name comes from the hockey tradition of players tapping their sticks onto the ice or boards as a sign of applause and respect.

With the partnership in its eighth year, Navy Federal and the NHL selected one organization whose mission has made a lasting difference for both the hockey and military communities.

The credit union will donate $100 for every goal scored during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (up to $50,000) to support UHL’s mission and programming.

The UHL will also be spotlighted across Navy Federal and the NHL’s social media channels, as well as on ESPN’s “The Point” and TNT game broadcasts.

“UHL has made an extraordinary difference for military families and their children nationwide, giving them the chance to participate in the sports they’re passionate about -- especially hockey,” said Joe Bock, vice president of brand strategy at Navy Federal. “We’re honored to recognize their remarkable dedication.”

Hudella, a 55-year-old retired Army first sergeant who was deployed in Operation Desert Storm in 1990, established the organization as Defending the Blue Line in 2009 after his chance meeting with Burns and Boogard with the mission of helping military families cope with the high cost of hockey.

He rebranded the organization as UHL in 2016 to include all sports. He said UHL has helped more than 100,000 military families and donated more than $30 million worth of sports equipment, provided free youth camps and cash grants to help offset sports participation fees and given away tens of thousands of free tickets to pro sporting events.

Hudella, who retired from the Army on June 30, 2012, said The Stick Tap for Service prize money will go a long way for UHL.

“We’re so deeply honored to be this year’s NHL Stick Tap for Service honoree,” Hudella said. “We’ve been fortunate to have incredible supporters like Navy Federal Credit Union, the NHL and so many other good people who see the value in what we do for military families. This recognition and support will make a substantial impact on our mission and allow us to put substantially more military kids on the ice, giving them an opportunity to play the game they love.”

Hudella said the award will enable UHL to subsidize more hockey opportunities for kids.

“In a typical year, we have probably 10 times the amount of military families that apply for grants than what we can fund, and that's been our biggest challenge,” he said. “We do well on the equipment side for kids. Cash is harder to come by. And financial gifts like this will go directly to kids so that they can register for hockey and help pay for travel and things like that.”

Headquartered in Hastings, Minnesota, UHL has shipped free hockey equipment to every state in the U.S., every province in Canada, and 16 other countries.

The organization has its own sports complex complete with an outdoor NHL-sized rink that hosted an American Hockey League game between the Iowa Wild and Milwaukee Admirals on Jan. 23. Iowa won 3-2 in overtime in the coldest game on record (minus-8 degrees Fahrenheit at puck drop) in the AHL or NHL.

Hudella said he’s proud that UHL has more than 100 pro hockey players serving as ambassadors including Burns, now a defenseman with the Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, goalie Jake Oettinger and forward Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars and Wild defenseman Jake Middleton.

“Hockey players are the most down-to-earth, blue collar pro athletes in the world,” said Hudella, who is also a beer league goalie. “And what I've seen over the years is just a mutual respect when I bring them face to face with the men and women that serve our country. The military people are just in awe because of their sport titles, and the NHL guys are just in awe because they truly look at these guys and gals as heroes that give them the ability to play without having to worry about their freedom and other things.”