Senior goaltender Joe Rogers models the jersey that Notre Dame will wear versus Northeastern this weekend to raise money for Hockey Saves.

Irish Hockey To Hold On Line Jersey Auction From Jan. 24 - Feb. 4

Jan. 24, 2014

Notre Dame, Ind. – When the Notre Dame hockey team hits the ice this weekend (Jan. 24-25) against the Northeastern Huskies at the Compton Family Ice Arena, the Irish players will be wearing special jerseys to help benefit an important cause.

The Notre Dame players will be wearing the specially designed jerseys for the series against the Huskies that will be auctioned off following the series to the highest bidders on the Notre Dame website – UND.com (http://und.cstvauctions.com/gallery.cfm?cat_id=5).

The white home jersey features the Notre Dame traditional leprechaun on the front with camouflage coloring instead of the usual green. The numbers on the sleeves and the back are also in camouflage to honor members of the military. The shoulders are blue with the Hockey Saves logo on the back and inside the collar in gold is the word – Courage.

The proceeds from the auction will go to the military organization – Hockey Saves – a 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded initially as a simple way to say “thank you” to the brave men and women who defend our country. Based in Fort Benning, Ga., the organization began as a way to provide soldiers at the base an outlet through hockey. Originally, it provided ice time for a few dozen servicemen but has grown to include over 200 players at Fort Benning. With all the players joining the organization, the groups’ needs have grown for equipment and ice time. That’s where the world of hockey has come in.

The National Hockey League has donated specially designed hockey jerseys to the organization and the players. Various college and minor professional teams and players have donated equipment and their time to help the group. Notre Dame goaltender Joe Rogers (Marysville, Mich.), one of 18 nominees for College Hockey’s Humanitarian Award, became involved with Hockey Saves last year and is now on the group’s board of directors. He is spearheading this year’s fundraising efforts.

“Hockey Saves is a military organization that helps soldiers get on the ice by providing equipment and ice time,” says Rogers.

“We have done a jersey auction the last couple of years and I thought it would be a cool way to help this group. It’s been very exciting being involved with this event and all the preparations. I hope that this can be another successful event as fans can go to UND.com and join in the bidding. It’s a great cause to help our servicemen and women relieve stress by playing the great game of hockey.”

Bidding for the jerseys begins on Friday, Jan. 24 and will run through Thursday, Feb. 4 at 9:30 p.m. (EST). Bids on the jerseys start at $200.00 with all the proceeds benefitting Hockey Saves.

Fans must be registered to bid on these special jerseys by setting up an auction profile (user name/password/billing information) in advance. To register a profile, link to http://und.cstvauctions.com/gallery.cfm?cat_id=5. The winning bidder will receive the jersey autographed by the player wearing it, and also one additional player (NCAA rules stipulate a minimum of two signatures per jersey). Player nameplates will be removed from the jerseys prior to fulfillment.

While the online auction is one way to contribute to this event, on Saturday night, a Chuck-A-Puck contest will be held with the winner getting a Hockey Saves jersey. Pucks will be available until the end of the second period for $5.00 each. If you are not able to attend the game, you can make a monetary contribution by visiting und.com/buytickets and click on hockey.

Members of the Hockey Saves group and family members will be recognized throughout the weekend at the games. Fans also can make donations to the group at their website – www.hockeysaves.us.

“I have been fortunate enough to be personally involved with Hockey Saves since the early stages and it is amazing to see the progress and impact that the organization has had on the soldiers involved directly,” says Rogers.

“In addition, it has been a great pleasure to develop friendships with many of the servicemen and women involved. It’s remarkable receiving text messages, emails and phone calls from these soldiers to my teammates and I, wishing us luck in our upcoming games.”

“These men and women who represent our country truly embody the courage, the sacrifice and the ideals, which we all hope to represent. It has been with great pleasure that I have been fortunate to be an ambassador for the game of hockey to unite players from multiple teams and leagues to support one cause under our nation’s colors,” adds Rogers.

“Hockey Saves has coined the phrase #hockeyplayersunite and in my opinion this has been a great reminder that we all have the same pride for our country and those who defend our freedoms regardless of the team jersey we put on each weekend. As a friend of the game of hockey and as a fan of Irish Hockey, I hope that you would consider sharing this information with your friends or consider making a contribution if possible. Every little big helps to keep these heroes on the ice.”