The fourth annual Shoulder Check Showcase is set to be the biggest one yet, and the New York Rangers are right in the middle of it.
When the charity game hits Sacred Heart University’s Martire Family Arena on July 30, six Rangers will be on the ice: Adam Fox, Matt Rempe, J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue. They’ll be joined by more than 25 NHL players overall, along with other notable names such as Trevor Zegras and Chris Kreider.
The event is built around a simple message: “reach out, check in and make contact” to help support the mental health of the people around you. It’s a cause that carries a deeply personal origin for founder and executive director Rob Thorsen, who started the Showcase and the HT40 Foundation after his son, former junior hockey player Hayden, died by suicide in May 2022.
Thorsen said the event has taken a major step forward this year, and he’s encouraged by how far the mission has 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.
The 2026 Showcase will be the first one held at Martire Family Arena, which seats around 4,000. It also marks the largest version of the event to date.
The roster release came on July 29, and the lineup stretches well beyond the Rangers. Alex Lyon of the Buffalo Sabres will be in goal for Team Prentiss, while Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks will handle the net for Team Shattenkirk. Jules Constantinople and Madison Samoskevich of the PWHL’s Vancouver Goldeneyes are also scheduled to participate.
The Showcase has grown into one of the biggest yearly gatherings of NHL players outside league-sanctioned events, bringing together players from the NHL, AHL and PWHL who support the Shoulder Check mission. The night will begin with a pregame party at 4:00 p.m.
EST, followed by gates opening at 6:00 p.m. and puck drop at 6:30 p.m. EST.
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