Devils Build Connections to Students via Gaming Partnership | FEATURE

As the Devils battled the Ottawa Senators on the ice at Prudential Center last Saturday for the team’s Gaming Theme Night, sitting in an upper concourse section of seats was a group of New Jersey students taking in the action. When intermission hit, the students gathered inside the Devils Gaming Group Lounge to grab a controller and play a little EA NHL 25 on one of several monitors and consoles located in the room.

The students were special guests of the Devils, NHL, NHLPA and PlayVS. The four organizations announced a new partnership to support esports and gaming for middle and high school students in the greater New Jersey area.

“We’ve been in conversations with the NHL, NHLPA and the Devils for a long time,” said Veronica Sander, PlayVS VP Strategic Partnerships. “(We) put together the idea to create a connection between our Esports Network, which spans about 5,000 schools across the country here in New Jersey and really connect our students and our schools with the Devils Gaming Group program.

“We’re excited to bring the first group of kids out tonight to introduce them to the lounge, introduce them to EA NHL – some of them have played, some of them have not – and really create the connection between esports and hockey.”

Through the partnership, students have the opportunity to compete in gaming for their schools at no cost, utilizing the PlayVS platform. Additionally, participating schools will have the opportunity to utilize the Devils Gaming Group Lounge throughout the spring for games, events and more.

“We’re really excited to have PlayVS as a partner. They are the biggest digital platform for middle schoolers and high schoolers in North America,” said Jillian Frechette, the Devils Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re already really active with those age groups on the ice with hockey. But what a wonderful way to draw them into our community and with a different dimension. PlayVS is going to be a great partner and we’re pretty happy about that.”

The guest students and their parents were joined in the Gaming Group Lounge by NJ Devil, Devils alum Grant Marshall and gamers Henreek and Kosmic.

“It's really special. When I walked into the lounge, it’s such an awesome atmosphere,” Sander said. “The kids have a chance to play EA NHL 25 on the computers. They get to watch the hockey game. I just want them to enjoy this experience, to be part of this atmosphere, connect with the Devils and create a path for future engagements.”

The evening provided a bit of digital game play combined with in-person interactions that are so important to childhood development and growth.

“Gamification and community are really important,” Frechette said. “When you’re a brand you’re trying to figure out the difference between real-life experiences and digital experiences. Here there is an intersection. They’re going to have a digital experience in a real-life room with a bunch of kids that are looking to have fun and enjoy some hockey.”

And for many students, gaming is their only outlet and connection to others. And the Devils, NHL, NHLPA and PlayVS are trying to nurture that connection.

“About 50 percent of the kids that participate in PlayVS are not participating in any other extracurricular activities,” Sander said. “So, this is their chance to build leadership, communication, have a sense of belonging, increase their mental wellbeing because they have a team and people to be a part of their community. It really is so much more than gaming. It’s the way they have connection. It’s a really special opportunity for kids in high school that didn’t exist 10 years ago.”

This day would have never happened without the Devils having a vision of embracing the gaming community – “meeting kids where they are,” as Frechette said – and having the vision to create the Devils Gaming Group Lounge. The lounge and the new partnership are the culmination of a multi-year project initiated by the Devils marketing department.

“This idea has been a long time in the making. Three years ago we started thinking more heavily about how we connect with kids where kids are,” Frechette said. “A lot of work and research has been done to know that kids and families spend a lot of time on various devices. It’s really important for us as a brand to connect where those kids are.”

Luckily for the Devils, there was a vacant area in the upper levels of Prudential Center that wasn’t being used.

“What we realized is that it would be fabulous to have a space where people could have that community within the community,” Frechette said. “For the longest time this space was underutilized.”

The Devils decided to renovate the space into a cutting-edge state-of-the-art gaming area. The team applied for funding via the NHL and NHLPA’s Industry Growth Fund, IGF.

“A couple years ago the Devils approached us about supporting the Gaming Lounge,” said Aliya Meany, Sr. Director Industry Growth Fun & Fan Development for the NHL. “It sounded like a really innovative idea. They had a lot of great concepts we wanted to explore.”

After being approved for the grant, the work began. A few short years later, the Devils Gaming Group Lounge has come to life in a stylish and modern feel, full of gaming consoles and monitors while also being attached to seats in the stands to watch the action on the ice.

“What’s amazing is it has seats connected to this community space which is outfitted with all the gaming gear and a fantastic view,” Frechette said. “Now, we can welcome people to our barn where we’re privileged, excited and thrilled to showcase hockey. But equally we can show up with a lot of the digital tech and games and the community that we think are really important to the audiences we continue to nurture.”

All in all, it was a fun night of gaming and hockey for students in a shared experience and making connections to new communities in a safe space.

“I hope that they realize how welcomed they are with the New Jersey Devils and with the League and the PA, and how we really welcome so many different forms of the sport,” Meany said. “I hope that they come back to more Devils games and follow the League and become lifelong hockey fans from this.”