NHL, ForgiveCo erase $1.25M debt for veterans

April 30, 2026

Summary

NHL said its partnership with ForgiveCo erased $1.25 million in debt for 1,025 veteran families.

Why this matters

The partnership reports direct financial relief for veterans and their families, a group that can face challenges during the transition to civilian life. It also shows how major sports leagues are using charitable programs to support military communities.

The National Hockey League partnered with veterans service organization ForgiveCo to eliminate $1.25 million in debt for 1,025 veteran families.

According to the league, $250,000 of that debt relief will go to veterans in the Dallas area.

On Tuesday, during Game 5 of the Dallas Stars’ first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Minnesota Wild, Stars forward Jason Robertson hosted former Army Specialist Cesar Gonzalez and his family at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Gonzalez is among the veterans whose debt will be erased through the program.

Robertson, 26, also supports military families through “JR’s Heroes,” a program funded by the Dallas Stars Foundation. The program provides premium game tickets and a postgame meeting with Robertson for families of active-duty service members, particularly those with relatives serving overseas.

Founded in 2021, ForgiveCo buys debt portfolios for a small share of their original cost.

Craig Antico, chief executive officer and co-founder of ForgiveCo, said veterans can face financial challenges while transitioning out of the military.

“Managing debt during major life transitions, whether it’s moving from active duty to civilian life, relocating, or navigating family changes, is inherently stressful because fixed financial obligations often collide with unpredictable personal circumstances,” Antico said in a press release. “For years, we have collaborated with brand partners to lighten the debt burden and provide hardship relief for Americans. This partnership is especially significant because it supports veterans, individuals who have sacrificed so much in service to our country, by addressing their medical and financial debt. Wiping away even a single debt can make a profound difference during an already challenging transition.”

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Senate Republicans unveiled and adopted the budget blueprint last week as they sought to meet Trump’s June deadline to fund ICE and Border Patrol and end the funding lapse that has shut down the Department of Homeland Security since February. Republicans planned to fund other parts of the department separately.

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A filing Wednesday evening in the District of Massachusetts showed the administration was appealing U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy’s March 16 order. Murphy put on hold decisions made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee, ruling that Kennedy had replaced the committee “unlawfully.”

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