This coming Thursday, many current and former New York Rangers will once again come together in Connecticut for the Shoulder Check Showcase, the fourth consecutive summer this charity hockey game is played to support mental health awareness for teenagers.
But thanks in part to the support and participation of Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, Matt Rempe, Dave Maloney and others, this year’s event plans to be bigger than ever. The showcase takes place this summer at Martire Family Arena on the campus of Sacred Heart University in Hamden.
This NCAA arena is larger and more modern than the previous local rink in Stamford, where the showcase originated in 2023. It also has the facilities for NHL Network to come in and broadcast the event, with former Rangers center Brian Boyle serving as one of the commentators.
“No disrespect to the town of Stamford and Terry Connors Arena, but going to Sacred Heart University, this is the next level,” Maloney told Forever Blueshirts recently on the Rink Rap podcast.
Increasing the size and scope of the annual charity event is important because it helps the Shoulder Check initiative raise more money. Just as important, it allows members of Shoulder Check to spread awareness about teenage suicide and the initiative’s simple but powerful message: Reach Out. Check In. Make Contact.
Hands on each other’s shoulders is the image most often associated with Shoulder Check.
“There’s a right way to gauge impact,” explained Rob Thorsen, who, along with his family, created Shoulder Check after his son Hayden — a 16-year-old high school goalie — took his life in 2022.
“We’re building a brand around kindness and empathy. Our goal is not measured in dollars raised, though that money is important to help us achieve our goal. And that (goal) is mass awareness, participation, and reach.”
Thorsen told Forever Blueshirts that Shoulder Check ran more than 125 programs this past year, working with NHL teams including the Rangers and Washington Capitals, as well as minor-league teams, youth hockey programs, and schools.
“For me, it’s the smallest moments that make the biggest impact,” Thorsen said. “There’s almost never been a time when someone didn’t say how this program helped them or someone they knew. That’s impactful to me.
“This crisis of loneliness and isolation has increasingly separated people from one another, especially kids, teenagers. One in three will have some form of mental illness. And the fact is that the first person they’d accept help from is a friend. Our message is simple. Reach out.”
‘Straightforward and appealing’ message part of Shoulder Check initiative impact
Shoulder Check aims not to complicate the message.
“The message is pretty straightforward and appealing, and I think that’s pretty neat,” Maloney said. “I mean, people actually do like one another, and you can be encouraged not to be afraid to express that or to reach out, make contact. That’s been the message, and it’s a simple one, but sometimes people need to be encouraged to believe in the fact that there might be somebody out there where a simple gesture might have a positive impact.”
Among NHL and PWHL players, Kreider and Bedford, New York, native Trevor Zegras of the Philadelphia Flyers have been on board with Shoulder Check since Day 1, often serving as spokesmen for the initiative and showcase event.
Fox and Rempe will be joined by Rangers teammates J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault, and Drew Fortescue at the Showcase on Thursday. Festivities begin outdoors at 4 p.m., gates open at 6 p.m., and the charity game starts at 6:30 p.m.
Dorofeyev takes part every summer — he did so even before the Rangers acquired him in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights this offseason. He and many other NHL players train with the famed Ben Prentiss in Connecticut, and Prentiss is a powerful advocate of the Shoulder Check initiative.
“The game is our tentpole event, and it raises awareness about our overall message, and hopefully inspires people,” Thorsen explained. “It’s everything [the support of Prentiss and the players]. This doesn’t exist without their partnership.
Typically what’s most emotional for Thorsen is when the players on the ice place their hands on the shoulder of the player next to them, and people in the crowd do the same with one another, whether they’re family members, friends, or complete strangers.
“Look at this simple gesture. This could matter.”
CLICK HERE: For tickets to the 2026 Shoulder Check Summer Showcase
Jim Cerny is Executive Editor at Forever Blueshirts and Managing Editor at Sportsnaut, with more than 30 years of … More about Jim Cerny
