Las Vegas veteran wins the NHL's 2023 Stick Tap For Service award

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas veteran has been named the winner of the NHL's 2023 Stick Tap For Service award. The program recognizes outstanding community service between hockey fans and military members.

Jason Griego was in the Air Force for 24 years and flew in combat operations in places like Bosnia and Saudi Arabia as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom before retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant. When he left the military, he found a way to help local veterans by founding the Vegas Veterans Hockey Foundation.

According to the foundation's website, their mission is to bring military veterans and their families together through hockey and that members represent all branches of the United States armed services.

The foundation was officially established in 2018 and what started out as a group of 15 players has now grown to 128 players.

Griego said the original goal was to help veterans coming home assimilate back in normal life.

"One day you have a thousand brothers and sisters that are your best friends. The day you take off that uniform, you don't know what happens. They're not there anymore," Griego said. "It's difficult to transition until you have something that kind of binds you back into that and that's exactly what I thought VVHF would do."

Now the NHL is recognizing Griego for his work in the valley.

As the winner of this award, Griego will get to go to a Stanley Cup Final game and will receive a $30,000 donation that's going toward the Vegas Veterans Hockey Foundation.

"To be acknowledged and recognized for something that I don't feel is work, it's passion, and to use the funding to purchase more ice and make sure we can continue our mission, I think that's the biggest success there is," Griego said. "It kind of takes my breath away to know our mission was that important to highlight so I'm honored to represent VVHF."