Jason, Nicholas Robertson humbled to host hockey clinic for military kids

Jason and Nicholas Robertson were looking for an opportunity to give back to the community.

The brothers got that chance when they partnered with the NHL Players’ Association and United Heroes League to host the Jason & Nick Robertson Hockey Clinic for military kids at Cleland Ice Rink at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, in North Carolina in August.

“I know how privileged we are to do what we do. We went down there to see what goes on behind closed doors,” Jason, a Dallas Stars forward, told the "NHL @TheRink" podcast at the NHL Player Media tour in Las Vegas last month.

“You see a lot of the commitment. It’s truly humbling. We tried to give their kids and people a good experience, and I think we were able to do that.”

United Heroes League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Hastings, Minnesota, that assists families of all branches of the military by providing free sports equipment, free youth camps and financial grants to pay for sports fees, special experiences and professional sports tickets.

“I mean, every kid was involved, and their parents were involved in the military,” said Nicholas, a forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs. “Some were away, some were retired, and it was really cool to bond with them and see a different lifestyle that we’re not used to, and it was an amazing time.”

The collaboration came together after Jason and his father, Hugh, talked with United Heroes League president and founder Shane Hudella during the 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend in Sunrise, Florida.

“We do a big trip every year with the NHLPA. They sponsor for combat wounded vets to go to the All-Star Game each year through (the NHLPA) Goals & Dreams program,” Hudella said. “I ran into Jason and his mom and dad at the event, and we hit it off from there.”

Hudella said the United Heroes League has held a camp for many years that has had participation from NHL players, including former forward Eric Boulton and former goalie Thomas Greiss.

Jason was a perfect fit to be involved this year, seeing as how the 24-year-old had already been active in the military community through his JR’s Heroes initiative, which hosts children whose parents have served or are serving in the military, including some whose parents have died in the line of duty. 

Approximately 100 kids of various ages and skill levels, most of whom were from North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, participated in the Jason & Nick Robertson hockey clinic. But one family traveled down all the way from Detroit to attend.

“This cute kid, Jason’s his idol, it was his dream to meet Jason, so he came down and participated in the camp,” Hudella said.

“It was amazing, right? We not only had Jason, but we had his brother Nick there, too. Fort [Liberty] is kind of out of the way, a little over an hour from Raleigh, so there’s not a lot of pro athletes that are making the trip to Fort [Liberty] to make an appearance. It was just amazing. The kids were in awe.

“Of course, Jason and his brother were more than gracious, doing pictures with the kids, autographs. We got to do some fun military stuff. After hours we went to some different ranges, got a glimpse into a little bit of the life of the 3rd Special Forces Group, soldiers, and how they qualify with some of the equipment they use. It was a fun time.”

Skills coach Tommy Mannino, who has worked with the Robertsons for more than 12 years, helped run drills at the clinic. He said they gave the kids drills they could also do on their own time, including fundamentals, skating, puck control and stick-handling.

“Every day we worked with them, we taught them something they could work on at home, in the driveway, in the basement. They could work on it outside in the parking lot,” Mannino said. “We tried to show all of it through a light of positivity, humor and enjoyment.

“When you have these guys, Jason and Nick and the other instructors helping out with children, you find ways to connect with them. Jason and Nick and our group, we made that a point to connect with the kids, learn their first names, talk to them, and that really bolsters and encourages the learning process when kids are having fun.”

When asked if he’d like to be a part of the clinic again, Nicholas said, “I’d definitely be open to it.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed. I had a great time with [Jason],” he added. “It was just a different experience that Fort (Liberty), it’s like a city down there, one of the biggest forts in the U.S. It was pretty amazing to be involved.”

Jason Robertson agreed, saying the clinic was “definitely something to continue, maybe expand upon.”

“That’s the only ice rink on a military base in the country, so you’re pretty limited to that one spot,” he said. “But now we’re familiar with the people who work there, the coaches. The coaches are all veterans or work at the base. So, hopefully we can continue that in the future.”