SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch are holding the Second Annual Officer Michael Jensen Memorial First Responders Game at the Upstate Medical University Arena on Saturday, April 11 at 3:30 p.m.
Â
The first responders game will feature the Syracuse Police Department against the Syracuse Fire Department prior to the Syracuse Crunch game against the Utica Comets at 7 p.m.
Â
Discounted tickets for the April 11 Crunch game are on sale now and include access to the first responders game at 3:30 p.m. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit charities supported by the Syracuse Police Department, C.O.P.S (Concerns of Police Survivors), and the Syracuse Fire Department, The Burn Foundation of CNY. Discounted ticket links can be found on the police and fire department social media pages.
Â
Following the First Responders Game, the Crunch will honor participants in the Second Annual Officer Michael Jensen Memorial First Responders Game with a special pregame ceremony and moment of silence prior to the 7 p.m. puck drop.
Â
During the game, the Crunch will wear special first responders jerseys. The jerseys are blue with white shoulders and white stars and stripes along the bottom of the body and sleeves. There are 60 total stars on each player's jersey and socks to represent the number of local first responders lost in the line of duty – 45 Syracuse Fire Department firefighters, 12 Syracuse Police Department officers and three Onondaga County Deputy Sheriffs. The crest features the Crunch logo on top of a grey patch that combines the fire, police and sheriff emblems. The right shoulder has a "Thin Red Line" flag, while the left has a "Thin Blue Line" flag. "SPD, SFD, OCSO" is written inside the neck and "Finest" and "Bravest" are below the numbers. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off after the game in a live postgame auction on the ice.
Â
Local businesses can sponsor the memorial game by purchasing a first responder's roster spot for $250. The $250 will sponsor one player for the game and provide that player with a jersey. The business will also receive 10 tickets to the memorial game and Crunch game on April 11 along with recognition on the scoreboard.
Â
Jensen was a Syracuse police officer killed in the line of duty along with Onondaga County Lt. Sheriff's Deputy Michael Hoosock on April 14, 2024. Jensen grew up in Rome, graduating from Rome Free Academy in 2013 where he played defenseman on the school's hockey team. He then attended Le Moyne College earning a bachelor's in accounting in 2017 and an MBA in 2018. Jensen played five years on the club hockey team starting as a defenseman, then playing four years as a forward. He was named Le Moyne's rookie of the year during the 2013-14 season.
Â
Ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through
Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit
www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (
www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), X (
@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (
@syracusecrunch).