An annual charity hockey game in Monmouth County made its return Saturday after a five-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Players hit the ice at the Navesink Country Club in Red Bank for the Challenger Winter Classic.
The game was played between the Brick Stars Challenger hockey program and the New Jersey Warriors, a team of disabled military veterans affiliated with the New Jersey Devils.
For the past several years, the game was played in Avon, but when COVID happened, the outdoor rink was no longer put up.
Organizers say while the goal of the game is to have fun and raise money, it's also to expose people to the sport.
"Hockey is for everyone. This is an opportunity for us to bring attention to the causes to help raise funds for the work we do. We don't want…the price of hockey to be a barrier for the people who participate," said Ted Curtin, the president and co-founder of New Jersey Warriors.
This was the 10th year for the annual game.