Long Island Tournament Summary - Saturday, 3/7/26

Hey guys, Captain Ryan here to give you this Captain’s Corner for the LI Tournament! This past Saturday, a small handful of New Jersey Daredevils traveled out to Long Island for a great day of hockey at the annual tournament hosted by the Long Island Blues. It was a fantastic day on the ice, and the Daredevils finished with an impressive record of three wins and one tie across four games.

We also had some great help behind the bench. Coach Stephen Ritter (Nick Ritter’s father) came out of retirement to lend a hand coaching for the day, and Jordan Benoff (Michael Benoff’s sister) also helped behind the bench. Their support was greatly appreciated.

Our first matchup was against the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. It turned out to be a close battle from start to finish, but the Daredevils managed to come out on top with a 10–8 win.

Next, we faced the Long Island Blues for the first time. Both teams played hard and kept things competitive the entire game. The matchup ended in an abrupt 5–5 tie, leaving both teams wanting just a little more time on the clock.

After that, the Daredevils took on the New York City Fire Department. Our offense came alive in this game, and we came away with a big 13–4 victory.

For both the Sheriff’s Department and NYFD games, the Blues helped us out by joining our side since we were running a light bench. That kind of sportsmanship is what makes these tournaments so special.

Following a nice dinner break, most of the Daredevils had to head home, leaving only three Daredevils for the final game of the night against the Long Island Blues. Luckily, we had some help stepping in. Two NYFD players and a random youth goalie joined our side to make sure we could finish the tournament.

Even with a very shorthanded roster, the team played incredibly well and pulled off a 7–1 victory over the Blues to close out the day.

A big thank you to the Long Island Blues, the New York City Fire Department, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department for another awesome tournament. We truly appreciate the competition, teamwork, and sportsmanship. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year! And thank you to Coach Ritter and Coach Jordan for being on the bench that day. You guys did great! 

With only a few games left in the season, the end is coming up quickly. I’m proud of everyone who played hard and showed great sportsmanship in Long Island that day.

Until we meet again, Happy Hockey!

- Captain Ryan Griffin, #4