Operation Hat Trick: NHL Stars Raise Money for Sandy Victims Despite Lockout

By Kristin Tullo (@KToools) For Andy Greene it was a “no brainer” to join Operation Hat Trick when he was asked to take part in a benefit game that would raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey. Greene, along with 31 other NHL players, including two New Jersey teammates David Clarkson and Martin Brodeur, played in front of a sold out crowd at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday night. Though the game’s main purpose was to help a community that needed it the most, Operation Hat Trick also became an outlet for frustrated hockey fans to have just one night of hockey, featuring some of their favorite players and some of the best talent in the league. Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers poured into the stands, with a scattering of New Jersey Devils fans filling in as well for a once-in-a-lifetime All Star-type event, all the while voicing their dislike for the NHL lockout. It was Team NY versus Team NJ, in a goaltending matchu...