Rangers stars pledging connectedness for Shoulder Check charity game

Dave Maloney was already invested in the Shoulder Check initiative after what became a two-hour coffee with Rob Thorsen — the father of the inspiration behind the charity, Hayden Thorsen, a local goalie who took his own life in May 2022, at age 16.

During the pregame ceremony of the cause’s inaugural event last summer, however, the former Ranger saw how much it resonated with hockey fans and recognized just how important the charity’s message truly was.

“The emotion of the ceremony,” Maloney recalled to The Post over the phone Wednesday. “There seemed to be a buy-in, right? It was quiet.”

NHL and PWHL players, both current and new, will take part in the ceremony once again Thursday for the second annual Shoulder Check Showcase game at Terry Conners Rink in Stamford, Conn.

Circling up at center ice before the puck drops, players will take the Shoulder Check pledge by placing a hand on the shoulder of the player next to them and saying, “I promise to … reach out … check in … make contact.”

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These words were chosen to capture and honor Hayden Thorsen.

Thorsen, who wore No. 40 on the ice, was a talented hockey player and a friend to all.

Those who knew him best said he was always the one to reach out to teammates and check in, which is now at the heart of the Shoulder Check initiative.

The hope is that Thorsen’s story will encourage young people to “simply be there for their peers through action-oriented initiatives that foster social connectedness.”

His parents and co-founders of the #HT40 Foundation, Rob Thorsen and Sarah Thompson, have seen more than 10,000 people across the country take the Shoulder Check pledge.

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Nearly 80 current and former professional players have joined. Additionally, NHL and PWHL clubs from Boston to Washington have partnered with the Shoulder Check for arena-based game-day activations engaging tens of thousands of fans.

Watching professional players get involved has been a treat for Maloney, who was the youngest player ever to be named captain of the Rangers.

He thought the ending to last year’s game, when the longest tenured Ranger, Chris Kreider, won it in the shootout, couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Chris is the driver,” Maloney said. “Chris has embraced what the message intends to be, what we hope to accomplish long term. Another guy that’s been really good is [former Ranger and current unrestricted free agent] Kevin Shattenkirk. [Ducks forward] Trevor Zegras, he’s a local kid, obviously, he’s embraced it.

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“He and Chris are the focal points and, God, [if] Zegras ever ends up in a Rangers uniform, how great would that be for this movement? There seems to be rumblings and hope on the front of the Shoulder Check people that will happen — but that’s for further conversation.”

In addition to Kreider, fellow Rangers Matt Rempe and Jonathan Quick will be in attendance Thursday, as well.

Other notable NHL players include the Hurricanes’ Shayne Gostisbehere; the Ducks’ Mason McTavish, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano; the Penguins’ Kevin Hayes; the Flyers’ Joel Farabee; the Senators’ Shane Pinto, the Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev; the Capitals’ Sonny Milano; and the Panthers’ Spencer Knight.

PWHL New York’s Abby Roque, Jessie Eldridge, Ella Shelton and Micah Zandee-Hard are also involved.

“There’s a camaraderie and a spirit [in a hockey locker room] that is unique,” Maloney said. “There are a lot of unique things about our sport that kind of dovetail into something like this, where you get involved and you kind of ask people on a simple gesture, by putting your hand on someone’s shoulder, to recognize how important contact is. Those are the things that really resonate with me.”

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