NHL, Rangers heavily involved in fourth annual Shoulder Check Showcase

NHL, Rangers heavily involved in fourth annual Shoulder Check Showcase originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>The 2026 Shoulder Check Showcase will feature six members of the New York Rangers participating in the charity game — with over 25 NHL players in total able to be seen on the ice.

>July 30 will mark the fourth annual Shoulder Check Showcase, which is a charity hockey game centered around supporting mental health awareness and human connection. Adam Fox, Matt Rempe, J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue will be playing for the Rangers, with other noteworthy NHL stars such as Trevor Zegras and Chris Kreider also taking part. 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 and the puck dropping at 6:30 p.m. EST. The event's pledge is simple — "reach out, check in and make contact" to better the mental health of those around you.

>Founder and Executive Director Rob Thorsen founded the event and the HT40 Foundation after his son and former junior hockey player, Hayden, took his own life in May of 2022.

>Thorsen said the event has grown significantly this year, and is glad to see the initiative — that anyone can make a positive impact on someone else's mental wellbeing — spread.

>"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 a recent interview. "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.

Over 25 NHL players taking 2026 Shoulder Check Showcase pledgeThe event's website also signifies about how much human connection matters, demonstrating that sometimes simply putting a hand on a neighbor's shoulder can make all the difference.

>This year's event will be the biggest the event has been in history. It marks the first time it has taken place at Martire Family Arena — which has a capacity of around 4,000.

>The annual Showcase draws dozens of professional hockey players across the NHL, AHL and PWHL who support the Shoulder Check mission to inspire a culture of support through small actions that have a big impact. In Shoulder Check games, the players will circle up and take the previously mentioned Shoulder Check pledge by placing a hand on the shoulder of the player next to them.

>July 29 marked the release of the rosters for the 2026 Shoulder Check Showcase game, which is as follows:

Credit Shoulder Check Showcase, an # HT40 Foundation Initiative

Alex Lyon of the Buffalo Sabres will also be in goal for Team Prentiss. The Chicago Blackhawks' Spencer Knight will be the goaltender for Team Shattenkirk.

>Jules Constantinople and Madison Samoskevich of the PWHL's Vancouver Goldeneyes will also play.

>The Showcase has also become one of the largest annual gatherings of NHL players at a non-NHL-sanctioned event. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. on July 30 at Martire Family Arena after the previously mentioned outdoor festivities at 4:00 p.m.

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