This is 2026, not 2016. It is not 2006, nor any other year in the past. That’s both a positive and a negative. One of the best changes is that mental health is now openly talked about and acknowledged as an issue that needs to be addressed. 

In May 2022, Hayden Thorsen, 16, tragically took his own life, leaving behind family, friends and hockey teammates who had relied on him as the person who would always check in on them when skies were gray. The void left by Hayden inspired those whom he left behind to do something, anything, to prevent future tragedies. So, his father, Rob Thorsen and company created the Hockey Shoulder Check Showcase, which has turned into an annual mid-summer hockey game. 

Many NHL players come out to play in the game, led by Chris Kreider, Trevor Zegras, Brett Pesce and Spencer Knight, to make a difference. The fourth annual game, played on Thursday, July 30th at Sacred Heart University’s Martire Family Arena, saw the players grouped into two teams. Team Prentiss was led by famed trainer Ben Prentiss and Team Shattenkirk was led by former NHL defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. 

The 15-9 score (in favor of Team Shattenkirk) was not the focus of the evening. Rather, the sentiment expressed by the players before they took the ice is what stood out, as did the atmosphere in the arena during the event.

“Everyone can be that person (who reaches out to check in on others),” Kreider explained. “It doesn’t matter what age, what point in your career, it doesn’t just have to be in the locker room. It can be in your own personal life, but I think that’s the message. That’s the overarching conversation we’re trying to get started and continue to have. Knowing your own life and your own community, anyone can be that person.”

Yes, anyone can and should be that person. NHL teams often refer to themselves as families; they do travel and live together for much of the year. So, in theory, it should be easy to reach out and check in on your teammates. The question is, how to do so?

“(It’s) just getting to know a guy,” Pesce explained. “I think, especially if it’s a new guy on a new team or whatever, the season is super stressful. It’s high energy. There’s a lot of ups and downs to the everyday. So, just getting to know your buddy and your partner and just making small talk, asking how they’re doing, how their family’s doing. 

“For me, the mental aspect of hockey has come such a long way since I’ve been in The League and it continues to grow each and every year. It’s amazing, because it’s so important, not just for your performance, but life after hockey, because hockey’s such a small component in your lifetime.”

That extreme level of stress for prolonged stretches of time is a big trigger for mental health issues. So, seeing an event like this grow so much year-over-year is a sight to behold, because it means that society is beginning to normalize the topic of mental health instead of it being taboo like it has been for generations. 

“It’s a great event,” Alex Lyon said. “It’s growing. I live in the city, so I haven’t participated before, but it seems like it’s been growing in energy every year. (I) had the opportunity last week to learn a bit more about it and it’s just a great cause. (I’m) so happy to support a great cause and bring whatever attention we can. Just happy to be here.” 

That sentiment was echoed by Spencer Knight, who is a local product, being from Darien, Connecticut. “Honestly, it started as a local thing,” Knight said. “Very familiar with people in my community where I grew up in Darien, Connecticut. So, to see it kind of branch out further than just our local community is pretty cool.”

What’s also “pretty cool” is getting the various NHL players to be so openly passionate about the cause. 

“It’s something, in today’s world, that should be in everyone’s mind,” Trevor Zegras explained. “Personally, I love checking in with people on car rides and I talk to this guy (Mason McTavish, who was standing next to Zegras) pretty much every day. It’s just something that we all can relate to, so it’s easy.”

Relatability is key. If we want to continue to break down the barriers and stigma around mental health, then we as a society need to be able to share our various stories without fear. 

“It’s always been an issue, that in the last two decades, has become much more at the forefront,” Lyon said. “Obviously, our generation has kind of stimulated that conversation a bit more and so that’s great. But life is hard, you know? Life is really hard and it doesn’t matter who you are or what circumstance you have. Everybody faces challenges on a daily basis and certainly, thinking about how you operate in a healthy place and asking for help is important. Just being cognizant of it goes a long way.”

You can’t say it any better than that. 

The fourth annual Hockey Shoulder Check Showcase was a massive success and will continue to be, so long as the players and community actively have the conversations that will help shape a better tomorrow. 

For more, check out their website https://www.shouldercheck.org/ and remember to “Reach out. Check in. Make contact.”