Former Rangers captain won’t miss out on Shoulder Check movement despite surgery

Dave Maloney recently had ankle surgery. Not just a simple ankle surgery. The former New York Rangers captain and current MSG broadcaster had his ankle “replaced and reconstructed.”

But that won’t keep Maloney away from taking part in the second annual Shoulder Check Showcase at Terry Connors Rink in Stamford, Connecticut, on Thursday.

“That was never a factor,” Maloney told Forever Blueshirts. “This is a movement and I plan to be there for it.”

The movement of which Maloney speaks is a simple one aimed towards children, most specifically teenagers, and has its ties rooted in hockey. The message is simple: Reaching out. Checking in. Making contact.

“I think this message is powerful, but it’s pretty simple in a time when a lot of things are complicated,” said Maloney, who’ll emcee the event Thursday that includes a hockey game featuring 30 NHL and PWHL players.

Rob Thorsen and his wife Sarah Thompson created the Shoulder Check movement after their son Hayden, a hockey goalie in Connecticut, took his life at the age of 16 in 2022.

“Our idea is just so simple and universal, everybody could use a hand on their shoulder,” Thorsen, a passionate Rangers fan, explained to Forever Blueshirts. “And it comes directly from my son and about who he was and not why he left us, and who he was was a hand-on-the-shoulder guy. … All he was doing was being kind, being an empathetic guy, and that’s not how you commonly describe a 16-year-old.

“You would notice him when he came into a room because he was big, 6-foot-3, and had a presence, but ultimately you would remember him because he was kind. So, we thought about what to do after (he died) and came up with ‘we all have a hand to give and you never know who might need a hand.’ Listen it’s hard to ask for help when we are struggling and we don’t allow ourselves space to be vulnerable, so the more of us out there willing to check in with one another, then you might find someone that needs some help and you can help create a space where it’s ok for them to be vulnerable.”

The Thorsen family, which includes 15-year-daughter Elke, has taken the Shoulder Check message into schools and local hockey rinks and, with the help of the NHL, expanded outside of the tri-state area. There was an event with the Washington Capitals this past season and many youth hockey teams and leagues around the country are involved, players standing next to each other in a big circle, each with a hand on another’s shoulder, everyone connected.

The organization provides kits to youth teams and leagues that wish to hold Shoulder Check events. The kits include aqua blue tape rolls, jersey patches and instructions about delivering the Shoulder Check message, and have been distributed not only to those who play hockey, but soccer and lacrosse teams have signed up, as well.

Though fundraising is part of what Thorsen and the 501c3 group does, there’s something more at play here.

“We’re not raising dollars, we’re raising awareness,” Thorsen explained. “My wife and I have marketing and advertising backgrounds. We’re two professionals building a brand for awareness. There’s a crisis of loneliness and paths of despair. We’re trying to teach about pre-intervention. Be kind. Reach out to someone.”

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Chris Kreider among three Rangers taking part in Shoulder Check Showcase

Chris Kreider — photo courtesy of ShoulderCheck.org

Chris Kreider will be taking part in the charity game Thursday for the second year in a row. He’ll be joined by Rangers teammates Jonathan Quick and Matt Rempe, and former Blueshirts Frank Vatrano, Kevin Hayes, Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan Strome.

Kreider, like many others, became aware of Shoulder Check through Ben Prentiss, who runs the renowned Prentiss Hockey Performance training center in Connecticut. Hayden Thorsen trained at Prentiss and his jersey now hangs on a wall when you walk in, next to current Rangers defensemen Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller.

“Ben had the idea for the game. And Gary Zegras, the whole Zegras family (including Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, who grew up in Fairfield County) were involved right from the jump. Chris Kreider was an outstanding advocate for us and still is. Trevor invited half the group that’s playing this year and Chris recruited the other half,” Thorsen explained.

Kreider told NBC that he’s dealt with anxiety and understands the pressures kids grow up with.

“Hockey players are supposed to be tough, supposed to play through everything but sometimes there’s stuff you really can’t see, stuff that’s not physical, that really weighs on you,” the Rangers forward said . “When you’re in it, you feel like you’re on an island and up until the last few years I didn’t really understand or realize just how many other people have experienced or are experiencing it.”

“Hockey is a very physical game,” Maloney added. “You use a shoulder check to create space. But here, the shoulder check is a sign of affection. We’re in this together.”

The first Shoulder Check Showcase last summer was a rousing success. Tickets are still available for the event Thursday, which begins at 4 p.m. and includes player arrivals and autograph sessions, plus the game, which is scheduled to begin at roughly 6:30 p.m. ESPN’s Arda Orcal will appear on a live stream from the event, and Maloney will emcee again, even with his foot in a cast.

“It was a wonderful event Year 1,” Maloney shared. “I hope it continues to grow. It’s a very powerful, touching story and an equally powerful message. Reach out. Touch someone.”

CLICK HERE for more information about the Shoulder Check Showcase and movement

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