New Jersey
Hutchinson Signs PTO with Devils | RELEASE | New Jersey Devils
![Hutchinson Signs PTO with Devils | RELEASE | New Jersey Devils Hutchinson Signs PTO with Devils | RELEASE | New Jersey Devils](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size50/prd/s8tdmatsbwdoeo44lbyc.jpg)
The New Jersey Devils and President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald announced today that the team has signed goaltender Michael Hutchinson to a Professional Tryout contract (PTO). Hutchinson will join New Jersey when all players report to training camp on September 18.
Hutchinson, 34, spent the 2023-24 season with Detroit’s organization and recorded two shutouts with a 14-14-3 record for Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League (AHL). The right-handed catching goaltender has played in 241 career AHL contests since 2010-11, posting a 120-85-26 record, .914 save percentage, and 2.62 goals against average, with 17 shutouts.
Born March 2, 1990, Boston selected Hutchinson in the third round, 77th overall, in the 2008 NHL Draft. The 6’3”, 200lbs. netminder earned his first career NHL win against Boston on April 10, 2014, after recording 32 saves on 33 shots. He has earned a 57-62-18 record in 154 career NHL games, with time in Winnipeg, Florida, Toronto, Colorado, Columbus, and Detroit. He holds a career 2.94 goals-against average, and .902 save percentage, with six shutouts. In 2014-15, he hit a career-high of 21 wins with Winnipeg. He helped the Jets clinch a postseason berth that same year with a 14-3-2 record and a .939 save percentage from October 24, 2014, to January 21, 2015.
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New Jersey
Slice of Controversy: New Jersey, Connecticut Governors square off over 'Pizza Capital' claim
![Slice of Controversy: New Jersey, Connecticut Governors square off over 'Pizza Capital' claim Slice of Controversy: New Jersey, Connecticut Governors square off over 'Pizza Capital' claim](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5ny.com/www.fox5ny.com/content/uploads/2024/09/1280/720/Pizza-wars.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Credit: @GovNedLamont via X.
NEW YORK – A social media brouhaha has broken out between the Governors of New Jersey and Connecticut after the Nutmeg State unveiled new highway signs on I-95 and I-84 naming itself the “Home of the Pizza Capital of the United States.”
The sign is one of several new ones that hail the state’s achievements, including ones calling Connecticut “Home of the Basketball Capital of the World,” “Home of the Submarine Capital of the World,” and telling people to “Stop for a bite in the Foodie Capital of New England.”
“These updated signs reflect our state pride, showcasing some of the best of what we do in Connecticut. They’re a fun way to greet visitors entering our state,” Lamont said in a post on X.
The pizza signs, which will greet drivers entering Connecticut from New York drew a reaction from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who posted on X “You’re not even the pizza capital of the tri-state area.”
Murphy doubled down on Thursday, posting a video for National Cheese Pizza Day.
“Now you might have noticed that there’s some confusion about where the country’s and the world’s best pizza is,” Murphy said. “These guys in Connecticut claim something which is… I don’t get at all. We all know it’s in Jersey.”
Murphy went on to poke fun at people from Connecticut for eating their pizza with a knife and fork, rather than eating it with their hands.
In February, Lamont declared New Haven, Connecticut the Pizza Capital of the United States, drawing ire from some of his tri-state neighbors.
So far, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has not weighed in on where she feels New York ranks in the ongoing battle over who has the nation’s best pizza.
New Jersey
N.J. State Police’s Human Trafficking unit is working overtime to save victims
![N.J. State Police’s Human Trafficking unit is working overtime to save victims N.J. State Police’s Human Trafficking unit is working overtime to save victims](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-03-nj_state_police_human_trafficking_unit2.jpg)
Wettengel said his unit’s job doesn’t end with a bust.
“We are always following up with them, making sure they’re okay, they’re good, especially if they’re going to be testifying in court, it’s a lot for them to deal with,” he said.
Even undocumented immigrants caught in the trafficking web are entitled to services, he said.
New Jersey State Police Major Tom Wieczerak is the commanding officer of the Special Investigations Section, which includes the Human Trafficking Unit.
He said his team goes beyond rescuing human trafficked survivors by going after the traffickers.
“With the location of New Jersey, with all the arteries, the Turnpike and all these interstates, it’s definitely something that is on the rise,” he said.
When to intervene
How do you look for signs of trafficking?
Wieczerak said common sense is key, and if something seems odd, it’s worth reporting.
“If you see young girls in hotels that may be dressed provocatively with older men, that can be a red flag,” he said.
Leese said sometimes it’s just a matter of “trusting one’s gut”.
“If you see women that are afraid to speak for themselves, it doesn’t hurt to look into it a little further, or call the authorities to do the same thing,” she said.
If human trafficking is suspected, New Jersey has a 24-hour human trafficking hotline number that can be called anonymously, 1-855-END-NJHT, which is 1-855-363-6548.
How to prevent trafficking?
Leese said education and awareness, especially for young men and women, is critically important to prevent human trafficking going forward, and her agency is working with local police departments to bring presentations into schools for kids as young as elementary school level.
“It’s making sure we’re having conversations with our children about what could happen, everything is on social media, a lot of things are considered acceptable, and kids may not know the danger they’re getting into,” she said. “It’s also making parents aware of danger signs they need to be aware of.”
Hershey said that with the World Cup coming to New Jersey in 2026, the problem is expected to increase exponentially, and his unit will be working closely with the FBI and authorities in Philadelphia to stop it.
Miller now works as an advocate, supporting victims of child and adults in recovery, who have been sex and labor trafficked.
Her advice to young women who start going down a slippery slope is simple: tell someone.
“Find your trusted adult, we know if there’s one adult who is healthy in a child’s life, chances of success (and help) are greater, talk to somebody, don’t keep it inside.”
New Jersey
Small plane with 2 on board crashes near N.J. airport, investigators say
![Small plane with 2 on board crashes near N.J. airport, investigators say Small plane with 2 on board crashes near N.J. airport, investigators say](https://www.nj.com/resizer/v2/6PWZB7DFWNFYRFVOGEHHG2MR2Y.jpg?auth=bfefb340121bb10a6173671d4895dfd47af7f81d29fb754a0980ceeb9e940cbb&width=1280&quality=90)
A small plane crashed Wednesday night near Somerset Airport in Bedminster, investigators said.
Two people were aboard the single-engine Piper PA-28 when it crashed around 7 p.m., an FAA spokesperson told NJ Advance Media.
The spokesperson could not comment on the condition of the occupants. Local police could not immediately be reached for comment.
The plane is registered to Ameriflyers of Texas Inc., a flight training institution based out of Dallas, Texas. The institution’s website states it has a school in Morristown, but it was unclear where this plane was traveling to or from where it came.
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
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