Saving More Than Goals: UMS Hockey Goalie Ayrton Whitehouse Raises Thousands for Cancer Research.

Nicholas Mistretta

MONTGOMERY, NJ — For Montgomery student and hockey goalie Ayrton Whitehouse, stopping pucks has become about much more than what happens on the ice.

The UMS student is once again participating in October Saves, a fundraising effort involving hockey goalies across the United States and Canada who raise money in support of cancer research and treatment. For Ayrton, the cause is deeply personal. He began fundraising in honor of his grandmother, who died from cancer in 2021. His family also has a history of breast cancer, giving the annual campaign an even greater meaning for the young goalie. Now in his fourth year participating in October Saves, Ayrton has raised more than $60,000 over the past four years, according to his family.

This year, he is hoping to add approximately $10,000 more before fundraising concludes on Nov. 10. Ayrton has been playing hockey for five years and has always played goalie. This season, he is a member of the 2013 AA Mercer Chiefs. October Saves brings together goalies from youth hockey through higher levels of the sport, using their performances and their platforms to raise money for organizations involved in cancer research and treatment. According to Ayrton’s family, funds raised through the campaign support institutions including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Barnabas. For Ayrton, the connection between fundraising and the work it supports became especially tangible last year, when he was invited to tour a research facility at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The visit gave him an opportunity to see firsthand where some of the money raised through the campaign goes and the type of cancer research it helps support. What began as a way to honor his grandmother has grown into a four-year commitment. And while goalies are normally measured by the saves they make on the ice, Ayrton’s impact can increasingly be measured far beyond the crease. With fundraising continuing through Nov. 10, he is once again working toward another goal — one inspired by family, strengthened by hockey and focused on helping others facing cancer. For Ayrton Whitehouse, every save has the potential to mean something more.

To help Aryton and his work you can donate here: https://charity.pledgeit.org/OctoberSavesHockey/@AyrtonWhitehouse2026

Photo Provided by: Jennifer Howard Whitehouse