Devils: Blake Coleman Launches Pickles Pals for Newark's Youth

https://patch.com/new-jersey/newarknj/devils-blake-coleman-launches-pickles-pals-newarks-youth?fbclid=IwAR1QL7gbD9DvUwdz0pntkHhEvnOzb6fyKWMFhDuYXsQ-m7HwOeRjbkanVoM

Coleman has since embraced his affection for pickles through the product launch of P20 and he revealed that he will come out with special line of pickle juice this season. And it didn't stop there.

Over the summer, Coleman and his sister developed an idea in the summer to engage fans on social media through enchanting pickle characters. The response was overwhelming as the campaign continued to build momentum. He then harnessed those positive vibes to give back to the Newark community through the announcement of Pickles Pals, a program created to inspire young people to read and embrace education while providing a fun learning environment.

"I was fortunate to have a good upbringing and a lot of people don't have that," explained Coleman, who sought to make a difference in the community in which he represents. "I thought the education side would be a good area to focus on."

In addition to the commitment to improvements at the BGCN, the children will receive tickets to six Devils home games and have the opportunity to meet Coleman.

"I'm hoping that they'll enjoy the experience and are excited to be a part of the Devils family," he said with a proud smile on his face. "The Devils have been extremely supportive of this initiative and have helped me get this off the ground."

Meanwhile, the third-year forward has great ambitions for the team this year after enjoying a breakout campaign in his first full season as an NHL player last year as he scored 13 goals and 12 assists. Coleman finished the 2017-18 season strong as he proved to be one of the team's most valuable players on both sides of the ice in the postseason.

Through eight games this year, the Texas native has picked up where he left off. Coleman has netted three goals and is one of the defensive stalwarts on a penalty kill that ranks fourth-best (87.9%) in the league.

"We're excited about where things are going here," Coleman said. "We've made some strides already, but it's on us to continue improving. We set the bar high and everyone in this locker room has high hopes for the team this season."

The Devils are seeking to make a return to the playoffs and appear to be primed to do that with their performance in the early stages of the season.

* Editor's Note: The photo used in lead of the story was via Blake Coleman's Instagram account @bcoles25 and given permission to use by the New Jersey Devils.