Devils Celebrate Healthcare Heroes One Year After Pandemic Began

NEWARK, NJ — Just one day after the one year anniversary of the National Hockey League’s historic decision to postpone the regular season amid the coronavirus pandemic, the New Jersey Devils hosted Healthcare Hero Night on Saturday to celebrate the healthcare workers who played such an integral role in keeping our country going. Video tributes honoring the healthcare heroes were played throughout the game in front of an abbreviated attendance of 1,800 fans — including 100 RWJBarnabas Health employees.

During pre-game warmups, Devils players proudly skated with the last names of 20 RWJBarnabas Health frontline workers on the back of the jerseys as a thank you gesture to their countless hours of service.

Then came the once-in-a-lifetime moment for Nora Englishman of RWJBarnabas Health’s Physician Services, who lived out her dream of singing the National Anthem in front of a live audience.

“It was phenomenal, energizing and such a great song to sing,” an overjoyed Englishman said recalling her first-ever National Anthem performance during the second period intermission. “I could hear some of them clap when I hit the note and it was nice to hear some reassurance (in my singing). It was a special thing to have some family members with me and to perform live tonight.”

Englishman, a Ramsey, NJ native had been approached to sing the National Anthem when the team’s ‘official anthem singer’ Arlene Roxburgh was unavailable for the game. Just two days after sending in her audition tapes, she was on the ice performing with her husband, son and son’s girlfriend in attendance taking in the moment. Meanwhile, it has been a particularly tough time for her family in recent weeks with COVID-19 hitting close to home.

“This meant so much to me because I have two parents in the hospital right now who are battling COVID-19,” Englishman explained. “For me to be able to send appreciation to the healthcare heroes out there is great because I’m all there right now. I’m truly blessed and will be sending a tape to them in the hospital so that they can see it too.”

During the second period, John Tirado, a Radiation Therapist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and a United States of America Navy Veteran, was honored for his tireless efforts throughout the pandemic as the ‘Hero of the Game’ on the Jumbotron as the crowd cheered him on. Tirado learned that he would be honored as Hero of the Game last week.

“It is so good to see how community oriented the Devils are throughout all of this,” Tirado suggested. “It’s such a good feeling to know that they are here for us so we want to make sure that we are there for them and support them.”

As a radiation therapist, Tirado works with patients who are at an extremely vulnerable state of health with various underlying conditions in a pandemic that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Over the last year, he and the staff at Saint Barnabas Medical Center have taken extra precautions to ensure the ongoing safety of their patients while delivering top notch service as they undergo radiation treatments that take an extreme physical and mental toll on their bodies.

“(This last year) has been a little trying, but we still have been able to treat our patients with cancer as normal,” he explained. “We’re taking all the precautions that we have to before they come in for their treatments and we just try to keep everything as normal as possible for them.”

He served three years in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman and called that time a valuable learning experience working with patients. Following that, he served in the Navy Reserves for six years before getting called upon to serve in Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War.

“Hopefully very soon we will be out of this pandemic and it seems that we are moving in that direction,” he added. “We’re on the right path.”

The Devils also unveiled the special edition Marty Mask Packs, presented by RWJBarnabas Health. These reversible face masks are inspired by the goalie mask of New Jersey Devils’ legend Martin Brodeur, featuring red and white flames and the horns of the Devils logo. Fans can make their $45 donation to the Devils Youth Foundation and get their own mask at newjerseydevils.com/martymasks.

“As we welcome fans back into Prudential Center for games, and acknowledge the one-year anniversary of the NHL’s 2020 season suspension, we are more mindful and appreciative than ever of the important role frontline healthcare workers have played in supporting and protecting our communities and fans these many months,” said New Jersey Devils President Jake Reynolds. “As always, we are humbled to share our gratitude for their service and impact, and grateful we can do so within the walls of Prudential Center at a home game, alongside our passionate Devils fans, where they belong. Our proud partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, once again, provides a special opportunity for our Devils family to honor Healthcare Heroes.”

Following New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s executive order on February 22, 2021, the Devils welcomed fans back into Prudential Center at 10% of traditional capacity. Since that time, all March 2021 games have been sold through the State-approved capacity.

“We continue to work closely with the New Jersey Devils to ensure effective health and safety protocols are in place as fans return to Prudential Center,” said Barry H. Ostrowsky, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. “Healthcare Hero night is a meaningful opportunity to recognize the selfless and heroic efforts of our frontline workers, who work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe.”

Fans may sign up for the April Priority List to receive on-sale alerts and the opportunity to purchase tickets to Devils home games in April before the general public.