Rutledge Gives Goalie Mask to Wounded Warrior

The Green Bay Gamblers will be honoring current and former military members with Military night on November 2 when the Gamblers take on the Des Moines Buccaneers. The Gamblers will be wearing alternate camouflage uniforms which will be auctioned off after the game with a portion of the proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Before the Gamblers began play this season they met with members of the Wounded Warrior Project, and the players took them on a run and toured them through the Resch Center including inside the Gamblers locker room.

Jared Rutledge, first year goaltender with the Gamblers, was in the locker room when he met an individual from the Wounded Warrior Project who had a USA hockey jersey on. Rutledge began talking to him and found out he was part of the US Sled Hockey team and a proud USA hockey fan. Rutledge, who spent two seasons with the Team USA National Development Program, had an immediate connection with this gentleman. After talking some more the man saw Rutledge’s Team USA goalie mask sitting atop his stall and mentioned he was looking at getting his nephew’s mask painted. That’s when Rutledge said, “Why don’t you just take this one?” (referring to his USA painted mask)

The member of the Wounded Warrior Project was floored and could not believe that a goalie from Team USA would just offer to give his helmet to someone he just met. For Rutledge, giving away his Team USA goalie mask was a gratifying experience.

“It made me feel good to give him that helmet but more importantly it made him and the kid feel great,” said Rutledge. “I think that was the biggest payoff to me, it was nice to give back to them like they have given to us.” 

When Rutledge played for Team USA NTDP they did Army boot camp training for team bonding and physical training purposes to start out the season. Rutledge and his teammates were able to gain an even greater appreciation for what our military does.

“We did really hard boot camp kind of training, it was intense. We have a great respect for what our military do, who they are, and what they represent.”

After getting that exposure to the military lifestyle Rutledge has a hard time expressing just how grateful he is for our American troops.

“It’s incredible the sacrifice our troops make. I can’t put it into words,” stated Rutledge. “AT USNTDP we talked a lot about what they do for us overseas and the togetherness they have, we really admired that. I can’t speak highly enough of what they do for us. To me we are afforded every luxury possible because of the sacrifice they make.”

Many people consider it “special” that Rutledge is in net for the Gamblers facing 90 mph slapshots, and for the guy from the Wounded Warrior Project to meet a standout goalie was definitely a special experience. Rutledge, however, expresses how incredible it was to meet some true heroes who really do some special things for our country.

“We got to meet a couple of Army Rangers when I was at the University of Michigan which was pretty cool. The training they have and all the special ops stuff is crazy.”

Rutledge has never participated in a Military night before but he looks forward to the opportunity on November 2 when he and his teammates step foot out onto the Resch Center ice for an even greater cause than usual.

“I’m ecstatic about it. The crowd and everything is awesome but the crowd is there for the same reason we are playing the game, to show our support for the troops and the sacrifice they make on a daily basis. It’s great for our organization to do something like this,” said Rutledge. “This game is all about the veterans and current military. For our team it’s about showing our respect and appreciation for what they do and have done by going out there and representing them the best we can with our play on the ice.”

Rutledge and his teammates are excited to put on the camouflage jerseys that will have a military branch or special saying on the nameplate where the player’s last name usually is.

“I’m pretty pumped about putting that jersey on. To have 16 to 21 year old guys to be able to do something bigger than ourselves for a greater cause is a fantastic thing.”

With the jerseys being auctioned off after the game and part of the proceeds going to the Wounded Warriors Project, Rutledge looks forward to signing that jersey and taking a photo with the person who spent the money on that jersey which will go to a great cause.

“It will feel great to see the jerseys get auctioned off and the money go to the Wounded Warriors Project,” said Rutledge. 

Having learned from military personnel through his past experiences Rutledge came to understand even more the importance of leadership. In the military, leadership is essential along with teamwork. Rutledge hopes to take what he has learned from military members and bring that into the locker room and on the ice with his Gamblers teammates. 

“Everyone can step up and be a leader at different times, and l learned from military personnel two of the most important aspects of achieving a goal are leadership and teamwork. The other thing is we have so many leaders on this team which makes us unique and makes the future look bright for us down the road. I absolutely think I can be a leader on this team and look forward to taking on that role.”

Team unity is also something Rutledge admires on this year’s Gamblers squad and he knows that the unity could play a vital role in the Gamblers developing into a championship team.

“This is one of the closest teams I have played with and we are all great friends. We’re really starting together and things are looking good down the road for us,” said Rutledge.

Rutledge, who spent last year at the University of Michigan and is now continuing on with his education this year, has learned the importance of having a routine so he can get everything done with a busy schedule. Rutledge is adjusting to junior hockey where the season is longer and more games are played while taking classes to get his associates degree.

“I learned a lot at the University of Michigan in my freshman year which I have definitely taken with me. I am playing more games in junior hockey and now I am taking even one more class than I did at UM last year. I am really starting to get into a routine which is good. It’s been a transition period to get used to the schedule but I am starting to get it down and the routine is becoming easier.”

For junior hockey players who have to live away from home where they do not get to see family and friends on a regular basis they know the importance of having a good support system which includes their billet families who house them during the season and their teammates. This can be true for military personnel as well, and often is even more difficult than the situation that junior hockey players are in with regards to being away from loved ones. Rutledge expressed his appreciation for his billet family and roommate who have made him feel right at “home” in Green Bay.

“It has been great in Green Bay so far, still learning the roads and things like that. I have an awesome billet family who have been great to get to know and spend time with. Living with teammate Gavin Stoik, who I played with for two years with Team USA NTDP, it’s been great being able to room and hang out with him.”

Rutledge and his Gambler teammates begin their trek to come together as one cohesive unit to achieve a common goal. They will be able to look back to the game on November 2 and realize what they played for on that night and how they can idolize the members of the US Military and everything they represent. For now all we can do as fellow Americans is express our appreciation for the sacrifices of our current and former military.