NY Rangers Gearing up for Fourth Annual Shoulder Check Showcase

The 2026 Shoulder Check Showcase will take place on July 30 at Sacred Heart University's Martire Family Arena, with six current members of the New York Rangers participating in the charity event supporting human connection and mental health awareness.

Chris Kreider, Shoulder Check Showcase / COURTESY: Droga5

July 30th will mark the fourth annual Shoulder Check Showcase — a charity hockey game centered around supporting mental health awareness and human connection; the NHL is heavily involved, including many from the New York Rangers.

Adam Fox, Matt Rempe, J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue will all be participating. In addition, former Blueshirts legend Chris Kreider is also listed on this year's event roster.

The 2026 event will be held at Sacred Heart University's Martire Family Arena, with a pregame party starting at 4:00 p.m. EST; the puck will drop on the Shoulder Check Showcase at 6:30 p.m. The event's initiative is simple — reach out, check in and make contact.

Rob Thorsen founded the event and the HT40 Foundation after his son, Hayden, took his own life in May of 2022. He previously played for the Junior Rangers, with many NHL players having participated in the event ever since to help carry the message forward.

Over 25 NHL Players Participating in 2026 Shoulder Check Showcase

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"We don't always know who needs a hand, but we all have a hand to give, and we're all qualified to do that," Thorsen said in an exclusive. "Just putting a hand on someone's shoulder is a conversation starter. It gives people permission [to open up], and that's been my experience with it from the day we started it.

Gary Zegras — Founding Board Member of HT40 and father to participant Trevor Zegras — said the Rangers and the league as a whole are constantly involved with the event.

"Year one, we were very Rangers heavy just because of [the] area," Gary said. "And now what I think is really exciting about it is that if you look at the roster, we've probably got 10 to 12 different NHL team represented ... It's great we've got so many more different players from different teams representing it. And I think that's going to continue to help grow it."

The event's website also cites a message about how much human connection matters, demonstrating that sometimes simply reaching out to someone can make all the difference.

Gary would note how important the annual event is in reminding individuals that they're never truly alone.

"What's really unique about this initiative is that it puts it on all of us to just say, 'Hey. Let's just let's just put our arm around each other and ask how you're doing and make sure that everybody's okay.' And I think that everybody's got that in them," Gary also said.

Kreider has been involved with Shoulder Check since the first annual event, with Rempe having also previously taken part.

Matt Rempe, New York Rangers Shoulder Check Showcase / COURTESY: Matt Raney

Both Thorson and Gary noted that this year's event will be the biggest the event has been so far; it marks the first time it has taken place at Martire Family Arena — which has a capacity of around 4,000 and will house over 25 NHLers in this year's event.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m. on July 30 after the previously mentioned outdoor festivities at 4:00 p.m.