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The mission of Shoulder Check to increase focus on youth mental health could not be more solemn.
But at this moment it requires spitballing ideas for routines for a 7-foot, googly eyed shaggy tangerine hockey mascot whose name is commonly preceded by the adjective unhinged.
We need to brainstorm some comedy sketches for Gritty, Rob Thorsen informs his Shoulder Check planning team, while confessing that this is the most bizarre request Ive had.
Even if youre not a hockey fan, you may have seen the Philadelphia Flyers mascot on Abbott Elementary, Good Morning America or Family Guy or cracking the internet by trash tweeting his Pittsburgh Penguins peer with the warning to Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird.
Gritty will make his Shoulder Check debut at the fourth annual showcase of hockey stars on Thursday, July 30, at Sacred Heart Universitys Martire Family Arena in Fairfield.
The event was inspired after Hayden Thorsen died by suicide at age 16 in 2022.
The move from the 2,500-seat Terry Conners Rink in Stamford to the 3,600-capacity arena is a mark of the events gradual growth.
This years edition will also include a screening of Shattered Ice at SHUs Community Theatre at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 29.
Planning for Gritty is just one of countless details that were addressed during a recent Shoulder Check video conference planning session.
Thorsen is clearly the team captain, accompanied by his wife, Sarah Thompson, and eight other volunteers.
They each have secret identities.
Eric Hidy, for example, is an investment advisor/who wrangles talent and influencers for Shoulder Check.
His wife, Deb, is a real estate executive/who juggles logistics such as tickets and jerseys.
Because Im observing the meeting, Thorsen says what doesnt really need to be said.
That doesnt change the poignancy when he shares that (Hayden) is the through line for all of us here.
Rob and Sarah are Haydens parents.
A Darien High School hockey player, Hayden was known for his empathy, often expressed by putting his hand on the shoulder of friends and family members.
Some of those peers were the sons of parents on this ad hoc planning committee.
Thus, the parents are now the teammates.
During the showcase (to be aired live on the NHL Network), players will gather on center ice before the puck drops and take the Shoulder Check pledge with audience members by placing a hand on a neighboring shoulder and repeating, I promise to Reach Out, Check In, Make Contact.
About 75% of the tickets are already sold for this years event.
As of Saturday, the ever-expanding roster consisted of the following NHL players: Trevor Zegras and Pavel Dorofeyev (Philadelphia Flyers), Chris Kreider, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Frank Vatrano, Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo (Anaheim Ducks), Adam Fox, Matt Rempe, J.T.
Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue (New York Rangers), Brett Pesce (New Jersey Devils), Spencer Knight (Chicago Blackhawks), Shayne Gostisbehere (Carolina Hurricanes), Shane Pinto (Ottawa Senators), Will Smith (San Jose Sharks), Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals), Matty Beniers, John Hayden (Seattle Kraken), Alex Lyon (Buffalo Sabres), Domenick Fensore (Colorado Avalanche), Matt Coronato (Calgary Flames) and Danila Yurov (Minnesota Wild).
The evolving roster is one of the countless challenges for the planning team.
Kristal Shaffer has earned an MVP award with her sewing skills.
All of the players wear Haydens No.
40 on the back of their jerseys, but Shaffer sews each players NHL patch on one arm and name on the other (so, of course, you can identify them by checking shoulders).
Just in case theres a wardrobe malfunction, shell bring her sewing machine to the arena.
I resist pitching a bit for Gritty that would involve the other 30 NHL mascots (the Rangers and I do love this about them dont have one).
It just seems too cruel to Shaffer and her sewing machine.
The devils (not the New Jersey ones) are in the details, and the Shoulder Check planners have learned in Year Four not to take anything for granted.
Debi McGahrens son volunteered her in Year One because shes a professional event planner.
Rob confesses that without her, we would have run out of water.
There are always new tasks.
Someone has to collect those moist game jerseys and deliver them to the auction winners.
Here are a few items from this years to-do checklist: They want to add a marching band, but need an answer to the question of How many tubas are right for a hockey arena? (My question is whether you can still call them a marching band if they cant march on ice.) Theres a potential sponsorship opportunity in shoveling the ice, but rehearsal seems wise so we dont wind up Keystone Copping it out there, Thorsen says (though that could be a cue for Gritty).
Gritty needs a jersey.
They may want to consult the Rangers Rempe, who at 69 shares the record for tallest NHL player ever.
Gritty is 3 inches north of him.
The messages on the Jumbotron wont write themselves (though AI does love to invade college campuses).
The Hockey Hall of Fame is providing an exhibit, inviting a choice of selections from the NHL trophy catalog (you would be correct in assuming the Stanley Cup is not an option).
They need more pucks.
As the session wraps up, I insist on asking a dumb question about the vinyl records behind Thorsen in his Darien home (dominated by the Grateful Dead).
But even that leads to chatter about future growth, like visions of a Sound Check concert.
Maybe even a Shoulder Check Festival.
It might be a pipe dream, Thorsen says, but weve got a lot of it already, and we're doing pretty good.
So who knows? Time and again I've seen Thorsen respond to outside queries posing the same question: What is important to the Shoulder Check mission? "And of course, that's just delivering the message," he responds.
The message remains the same.
It's Hayden's message: Kindness is a contact sport.
John Breunig is editorial page editor.
[email protected]; twitter.com/johnbreunig.
For information on Shoulder Check tickets, go to www.shouldercheck.org.