BVA Director of District 1 John O’Connell appeared by invitation at the Winding River Skating Center in his now hometown of Toms River, New Jersey, on September 13. The occasion was a Saturday launch of the Toms River Hockey Club’s 50th anniversary season.

Prior to the drop of the puck, players welcomed both John and Alex DePalma, the latter of whom co-founded the Brick Starts Challenger Organization in 2009 to teach skating and hockey to children and young adults with developmental disabilities.

John addressed the Blackhawks 18UAA team, which was scheduled to face off soon thereafter against the Brick Stars Challenger Organization in the first of a full slate of games that day. He was then honored with a commemorative game jersey marking the club’s 50th season. Organizers of the event hoped to showcase community service, inclusion, and hockey spirit—qualities better embodied by John O’Connell than perhaps anyone else, anywhere. John was named USA Hockey’s 2025 National Disabled Athlete of the Year.

John is a U.S. Air Force veteran and former pilot who is now legal blind. He competes in USA Hockey’s Warrior and Blind Disciplines with the New Jersey Warriors and New York Metro Blind Hockey. Also highlighted during John’s appearance at the launch of the season was his role as a leading advocate for veterans and people with visual impairments. He has testified before the New Jersey Senate on transportation issues for disabled veterans, and he serves on both the state’s Commission for the Blind Rehabilitation Council and BVA’s Board of Directors.

Learn more about John O’Connell’s passion for hockey, veterans’ issues, and many other endeavors.