The mission of Shoulder Check \u2014 to increase focus on youth mental health \u2014 could not be more solemn. But at this moment it requires\u00a0spitballing ideas for routines for a 7-foot, googly eyed shaggy tangerine hockey mascot whose name is commonly preceded by the adjective \u201cunhinged.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to brainstorm some comedy sketches for Gritty<\/a>,\u201d Rob Thorsen informs his Shoulder Check<\/a> planning team, while confessing that \u201cthis is the\u00a0 most bizarre request I\u2019ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n Planning for Gritty is just one of countless details that were addressed during a recent Shoulder Check video conference planning session.\u00a0Thorsen is clearly the team captain, accompanied by his wife, Sarah Thompson, and eight other volunteers. They each have secret identities. Eric Hidy, for example, is an investment advisor\/who wrangles talent and influencers for Shoulder Check. His wife, Deb, is a real estate executive\/who juggles logistics such as tickets and jerseys. \u00a0<\/p>\n Because I\u2019m observing the meeting, Thorsen says what doesn\u2019t really need to be said. That doesn\u2019t change the poignancy when he shares that \u201c(Hayden) is the through line for all of us here.\u201d<\/p>\n Rob and Sarah are Hayden\u2019s parents. A Darien High School <\/a>hockey player, Hayden was known for his empathy, often expressed by putting his hand on the shoulder of friends and family members. Some of those peers were the sons of parents on this ad hoc planning committee. Thus, the parents are now the teammates.<\/p>\n During the showcase (to be aired live on the NHL Network<\/a>), players will gather on center ice before the puck drops and take the Shoulder Check<\/a> pledge with audience members by placing a hand on a neighboring shoulder and repeating, \u201cI promise to Reach Out, Check In, Make Contact.\u201d<\/p>\n About 75% of the tickets are already sold for this year\u2019s event. As of Saturday, the ever-expanding roster consisted of the following\u00a0NHL players: Trevor Zegras and Pavel Dorofeyev (Philadelphia Flyers), Chris\u00a0Kreider, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Frank Vatrano, Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo (Anaheim Ducks), Adam Fox, Matt Rempe, J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue (New York Rangers), Brett Pesce (New Jersey Devils), Spencer Knight (Chicago Blackhawks), Shayne Gostisbehere (Carolina Hurricanes), Shane Pinto (Ottawa Senators), Will Smith (San Jose Sharks), Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals), Matty Beniers, John Hayden (Seattle Kraken), Alex Lyon (Buffalo Sabres), Domenick Fensore (Colorado Avalanche), Matt Coronato (Calgary Flames) and Danila Yurov (Minnesota Wild).<\/p>\n The evolving roster is one of the countless challenges for the planning team. Kristal Shaffer has earned an MVP award with her sewing skills. All of the players wear Hayden\u2019s No. 40 on the back of their jerseys, but Shaffer sews each player\u2019s NHL patch on one arm and name on the other (so, of course, you can identify them by checking shoulders). Just in case there\u2019s a wardrobe malfunction, she\u2019ll bring her sewing machine to the arena.\u00a0<\/p>\n I resist pitching a bit for Gritty that would involve the\u00a0other 30 NHL mascots (the Rangers \u2014 and I do love this about them \u2014 don\u2019t have one).\u00a0It just seems too cruel to Shaffer and her sewing machine.\u00a0<\/p>\n The devils (not the New Jersey ones) are in the details, and the Shoulder Check planners have learned in Year Four not to take anything for granted. Debi McGahren\u2019s son volunteered her in Year One because she\u2019s a professional event planner. Rob confesses that \u201cwithout her, we would have run out of water.\u201d<\/p>\n There are always new tasks. Someone has to collect those moist game jerseys and deliver them to the auction winners. Here are a few items from this year\u2019s to-do checklist:<\/p>\n As the session wraps up, I insist on asking a \u201cdumb question\u201d about the vinyl records behind\u00a0Thorsen in his\u00a0Darien home (dominated by the Grateful Dead). But even that leads to chatter about future growth, like visions of a \u201cSound Check\u201d concert. Maybe even a Shoulder Check Festival.<\/p>\n \u201cIt might be a pipe dream,\u201d Thorsen says, \u201cbut we\u2019ve got a lot of it already, and we’re doing pretty good. So who knows?\u201d<\/p>\n Time and again I’ve seen Thorsen respond to outside queries posing the same question: What is important to the Shoulder Check mission?<\/p>\n “And of course, that’s just delivering the message,” he responds.\u00a0<\/p>\n The message remains the same. It’s Hayden’s message: Kindness is a contact sport.<\/p>\n John Breunig is editorial page editor. jbreunig@hearstmediact.com; twitter.com\/johnbreunig. For information on Shoulder Check tickets, go to www.shouldercheck.org<\/a><\/p>\n