GLOVES OFF for mental illness. Select a team below, join the challenge, donate and share! Team Next Shift powered by George Hughes

About George Hughes and Next Shift Hockey: George Hughes, known as a "smooth skating, offensive defenseman" was an American professional player. Before turning Pro, Hughes played NCAA Men's Division 1 hockey for St. Lawrence University, where he was 2-year team captain.  In his senior year of college, he was voted 2012-2013 All-American after leading the NCAA in defensive scoring. Hughes is currently working with The Shift Group where he is recruiting and guiding athletes into sales professionals and other roles, as well as connecting companies with new hires. .

About Next Shift:  Next Shift is a multi-media, hockey platform created by former players - for the sports and professional world. We founded by sharing life-defining stories and lessons-learned. Each story shared aims to shows how adversity faced as an athlete can mold and create the proper mindset and skills to help us find and reach our post-sports goals and dreams as professionals, innovators and leaders.​Our platform is here to equip each other to take on every opportunity, by leveraging that adversity, those lessons-learned, the friendships made and reestablishing that 'athletes mindset' to win the game of life. 

About The Ranch: Teammates for Life: The Ranch – Teammates for Life is a nonprofit 501c3 organization aimed at providing a healthy and purposeful life for those former athletes and military combat veterans who have suffered trauma in their lives.This Non-Profit Organization was inspired by hockey teammates who, like so many others, were facing some of life’s biggest challenges.
How did we start? The dreamer who conceived the idea of The Ranch – Teammates for Life – was former New York Ranger’s Captain Barry Beck. Mark Pavelich, a fellow New York Ranger teammate and member of the 1980 Gold Medal Olympic (Miracle on Ice) hockey team was suffering from mental health issues as a result of the brain trauma he sustained over the years. As in their past, Barry protected Pav and rallied for his support. Mark embraced the idea of The Ranch after learning he wasn’t alone in the struggle. Teammates help each other on and off the ice, so not surprisingly, they were then joined by former NHL players, Clint Malarchuk and Tom Gorence, as well as Jean Pavelich Gevik, Mark’s sister. Since then, others have joined in. All are driven by the same passion to help one another.
You Should Know: Before leaving us, Mark asked us to keep it going for his Teammates and for our Veterans, the “real heroes” in his words. For the military who served and fought in battle together there is a saying – leave no man behind. At The Ranch, that rings true as well. It’s all for one and one for all.
What can you do to help us? Your donation to Team Next Shift boosts our position on the Fund Duel leader board, but more importantly, the funds go to the men and women that operate The Ranch so that we can further the cause of aiding those battling brain disease and injury. Join the challenge by uploading your photo or video by selecting the blue "join the challenge" button...donate on your own upload, and qualify to win prizes.