New Jersey
Taste of bigger stage leaves one of N.J. hockey’s top prospects with plenty of drive
Mason Hriczov, one of New Jersey’s top goalie prospects, had to shrug off thoughts on his sub-par performance, by his standards, at one of the most important camps of his career.
He attended four camps overall over a span of four months last summer and the journey took him to Buffalo, Omaha and Ontario.
All that camp exposure was a result of Hriczov’s getting drafted by two leagues and receiving an invitation to USA Hockey’s annual development camps.
In April, Hriczov was selected by the Kitchener Rangers in the 13th round, 262nd overall, in the Ontario Hockey League draft. The OHL is one of the three preeminent junior leagues in Canada that make up the Canadian Hockey League and is a major feeder to NCAA Division 1 programs and the NHL draft.
Just a few weeks later, in May, he was picked by the Omaha Lancers in the seventh round, 104th overall, in the United States Hockey League draft, which is the United States’ equivalent to the CHL.
There were serious options in front of him to weigh.
“Hockey’s getting real at this point. That was the first summer I took it very seriously,” he said. “I locked in. It’s a lot, but you just gotta push through it, I guess. You gotta love it. You just gotta play your best, every time, going to camps. Scouts are watching.”
The junior attended rookie camp in Kitchener not long after being drafted in May. USHL camp in Omaha followed in June. Then came the National U16 Camp for USA Hockey in Buffalo at the end of June before his first full training camp back in Kitchener in August.
“It was a lot of games, some practices,” Hriczov said of the U.S. development camp. “It’s great competition. It’s some of the best kids who didn’t make the national team, and guys have to work. A lot of scouts there. There were games I don’t think I played my best, but you just gotta work.”
Players from the National U16 Camp were chosen to play for the United States U17 Select Team that participates in the annual Four Nations Tournament every summer.
Hriczov didn’t make the cut.
“After that camp, I was like, I’m going to the gym every day. I put on a lot of muscle. I put on a lot of size,” he said. “When I went to rookie camp for Kitchener, they told me, you gotta get bigger. I kind of waited until after USA camp. I didn’t get to make the cut and I felt I just gotta take off now. And that’s what I did.”
Hriczov doesn’t like to remember bad things on the ice and loves forgetting about them. He kept that experience at the USA camp in the back of his mind, but he went straight to work. He had roughly seven weeks to make a plan and go on attack to make a strong showing at camp with Kitchener in late August.
All of the work added about 15 pounds to his 6’2” frame. Hriczov had reason to believe the team only wanted to keep him around for a cursory look at camp before sending him home. Hriczov was determined to make things go another way.
Once he hit the ice, he put on a show.
“Going up there was great. I go up there, play a great couple games. They tell me you’re going to stay for the week.” Hriczov said. “They had no intentions of keeping me, but I played, worked my butt off and got to stay there for the week and (then) they’re like, ‘We’re going to keep you for preseason. You did really good. We weren’t going to keep you after the first couple of days.’ So, I had a big summer.”
He wasn’t going to be the team’s starting goalie, or the backup, but his performance at training camp helped Hriczov make key moves up the depth chart for Kitchener. He is now next in line after the backup goalie, should anything happen. It almost became the best of both worlds for the time being. He can jump to Kitchener should he be needed and he returned to New Jersey for the 2025-26 season.
Hriczov still gets ample playing time with the Woodbridge Wolfpack U16 AAA team and the Morristown-Beard team welcomed him back with open arms.
After a whirlwind of a summer, the star junior still juggles playing club and high school hockey and the prospect of being called up to the OHL hovers above his head on a daily basis. For some, that might be too much to handle, but not for Hriczov.
“It’s great. They’re always watching you. The goalie coach (Jordan DeKort) is telling me, he’s always watching me. Just got to bring your A game every day. It’s great going up there, it’s fun. Kids are great, coaches are great, just got to enjoy it.”
In four games with Morristown-Beard so far this season, Hriczov owns a stellar .943 save percentage and also has a pair of assists.
He’s already one of the top goaltenders in the state. Now, he has a chip on his shoulder and that’s been bad news for everyone else in the Mennen Division and could mean the same for the Non-Public bracket once the state tournament rolls around.
“I think it’s been good. I mean, I think I could do better for club but I’m doing really well right now,” he said. “I have high expectations here for Mo-Beard, so I just got to live up to them.”
PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) — One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting in Paterson.
The violence erupted around 6:30 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of East 29th Street and 10th Avenue.
Children nearby gasped in horror at the sound of rapid gunfire. They were just about to sing Happy Birthday to their 13-year-old friend at her backyard party, but instead of blowing out the candles, they ducked for cover when they heard gunshots in the distance.
“Just hearing it – it was scary to witness, to hear. Especially on my birthday. Like a time I’m trying to play with my friends, get together,” said the 13-year-old.
She also says she had a friend who was there who saw what happened.
“He was going to the bodega – he went running back, but he had saw two people come out of a car and then shoot, but it was like an automatic gun,” she added.
Bystanders watched in shock and panic as first responders treated the victims. One of them was lying in the street next to a car and another was on the ground next to a bicycle.
Local councilman Luis Velez says the City of Paterson has taken measures to reduce crime in this part of town – what he calls a ‘hotspot’ — in part by installing security cameras. He is encouraging the community to cooperate.
“Paterson Police is doing their job as I know, they’re doing a great job to reduce crime, but one again we, the police, nobody, not even the news media has a crystal ball to say this is going to happen now,” Velez said, “Some people see corners getting built up, they see activities and they’re afraid to come out and say something, but our police department is trained to keep it confidential and approach to bring the quality of life in this area.”
The 13-year-old hopes her next birthday party is not ruined by the sound of gunshots.
“First we thought it was fireworks, but then we heard sirens and everyone started going home because they were scared,” she added.
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Let’s be honest, we didn’t need a national list to tell us this. New Jersey has the best restaurants, the best food, and some of the most talented chefs anywhere in America.
It’s something locals have been saying forever, and now the rest of the country is catching up. Still, it’s always nice to see that recognition on a big stage.
We Already Knew New Jersey Was the Best
USA TODAY’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year list highlights standout dining destinations across the country.
From humble roadside gems to chef-driven hotspots earning major buzz, the list celebrates places that truly stand out, and New Jersey showed up in a big way.
Three New Jersey Spots Earn National Recognition
This year, three Garden State restaurants made the prestigious list:
- The Pasta Shop – Denville
- Ram & Rooster – Metuchen
- Anjelica’s – Sea Bright
And yes, that includes a Jersey Shore favorite, because of course it does.
These restaurants represent everything people love about dining in New Jersey, quality, creativity, and flavors that keep you coming back.
A Jersey Shore Standout Shines
There’s something special about seeing a Jersey Shore restaurant included among the best in America. It’s not just about great food, it’s about the full experience, the atmosphere, and that unmistakable local charm.
Anjelica’s in Sea Bright earning a spot only reinforces what shore locals already know: some of the best meals you’ll ever have are right here, close to home.
No Surprise, Just Well-Deserved
At the end of the day, this recognition feels less like a surprise and more like confirmation. New Jersey’s food scene has always been top-tier, and lists like this just make it official.
Keep Reading: Beloved New Jersey Restaurant is Closing
So whether you’re heading to Denville, Metuchen, or down the shore, you already know, you’re in for something special.
PHOTOS: Step Inside a 1970s Kitchen — 34 Things You’ll Recognize
From Tupperware jugs (you know the ones) to those ever-present knife sharpeners, let’s take a nostalgic trip back to the quintessential ’70s kitchen.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
If You Grew Up in the ’70s and ’80s, These Foods Were Super Fancy
From Babybels to Toblerone chocolate, take a nostalgic bite out of these ‘fancy’ childhood foods that made us feel way more elegant than we really were.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
FIFA and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have become embroiled in a war of words this past week as the prospect of $150 train tickets to travel to World Cup games and plans to close parts of New York’s Penn Station have angered residents.
The recent uproar began after reports surfaced April 6 that parts of Penn Station would be closed to NJ Transit commuters not attending World Cup games for four hours before kickoff during the eight matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
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Moreover, round-trip train tickets between Penn Station in Manhattan and MetLife Stadium, where the final of the FIFA World Cup is set to be played, were announced by NJ Transit to come in at $150 per person.
A return ride on the same line typically costs $12.90, according to NJ Transit.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the Los Angeles stop of The FIFA World Cup 26 Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at LA Live in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026.
In a press release on April 17, Sherrill said the move to increase prices was caused by FIFA’s decision to eliminate parking at MetLife Stadium. The Democratic governor said price increases happened because FIFA did not agree to cover the costs of transporting fans.
“We are committed to ensuring costs are shared fairly. As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” Sherrill said.
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More: Going to World Cup at MetLife Stadium? Expect $150 train tickets and no parking
FIFA, on the other hand, has said the price increase would have a “chilling effect” on fans attending games in New Jersey and said Sherrill’s demands asking FIFA to absorb transportation costs for fans were “unprecedented.”
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup,” Heimo Schirgi, COO for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The NJ Transit logo is seen in the lobby of the New Jersey Transit headquarters ahead of a press briefing on the New York/New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 regional mobility plan in Newark, New Jersey on April 17, 2026.
What are other cities doing with World Cup transportation?
New Jersey has not been the only place where transportation costs have been the subject of discussion ahead of the World Cup. In Boston, round-trip train train tickets on the MBTA from Boston’s South Station to Gillette Stadium are being sold for $80.
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Special event trains to Foxborough for New England Patriots NFL games and New England Revolution MLS matches are usually $20 for a round trip, according to local news station CBS Boston.
Other cities have not seen increases like the ones in New Jersey and Boston. In Atlanta, for example, train fares on the city’s MARTA will be $2.50 per ride, with children able to travel for free with a paying adult.
Kansas City is offering $15 round-trip shuttle rides for fans parking in four different park-and-ride locations, as well as those coming from FIFA’s Fan Festival in the city. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is offering fans a $3.50 round trip train ticket on its Metro Train.
SEPTA in Philadelphia is also keeping its prices low, with fans set to pay the base $2.90 fare for a ride on its Broad Street Line, which takes riders to Lincoln Financial Field, set to host six matches.
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Katie Sobko from USA TODAY Network’s NorthJersey.com contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup fans going to MetLife Stadium to pay $150 for NJT ticket
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