Golfing, cooking, and other pleasures: How top NHL stars spend time away from the ice

The National Hockey League season is now in full swing: it's full speed ahead for the NHL's 32 teams and its many players aiming to win North America's oldest sports trophy, with the Florida Panthers hoping to claim a third consecutive Stanley Cup.

But this year, the league will stop play for the first time in 12 years to send its players to the Olympic Winter Games. For the players who go to Milano Cortina 2026, there will be a ramp-up in intensity as they don their national team sweaters and try to win gold.

For others, there will be a two-week break — time to catch up on side projects, hobbies, and family time.

Olympics.com asked some of the NHL's top stars what they like to do away from the ice to switch off, wind down, and just not think about ice hockey.

Many of them won't get the chance to do so in February, as they'll be headed to Milano Cortina 2026 by virtue of being named as one of their team's provisional first six players, but this is what they told us.

No hockey? Time for other sports

The first set of players gave perhaps the most expected answer from pro athletes: away from the rink, they'd find time for other sports, either to watch or to play.

Golf is, of course, one of the top past-times of choice for many athletes. NHLers are no different. Colorado Avalanche and Team Canada defenceman Cale Makar, though, caveated one thing: golf is strictly a summer activity.

"Not too much," he said when asked about his off-ice pursuits. "Mostly, in the summer and stuff, golf; just a lot of things outside. Make sure you're getting outside and just enjoying the weather."

Germany captain and Detroit Red Wings defenceman Moritz Seider also counts golf among one of his other passions. "I'm just a sports guy through and through," he said.

"I try my best with golf and tennis, a little bit of padel and pickleball and all that kind of stuff."

Fellow German first-six provisional roster pick Lukas Reichel went with another popular choice, especially among European players: football, and not the US kind.

"I always was a little soccer guy," Reichel said. "I used to play soccer when I grew up and I don't play it as much, but I like watching it or like to go to games in the summer if I can and if I have the time."

And count Victor Hedman among the ranks of the football fans. "Soccer is a big passion," the Lightning defenceman said. "Very involved in watching that and trying to learn a lot about that."

Though Hedman isn't that bad at American football either!

Self-improvement and family time

Okay, maybe not every hockey player spends their free time not thinking about hockey.

J.J. Moser, for one, does not really have any side interests at the moment away from the sport, instead focusing on how he can get better.

"Most of it is focused around hockey or just all things that help you with hockey," the Tampa Bay Lightning defeceman said.

"From (learning) about communication, about leadership, psychology, those are the little (things) where you spend time with reading or learning to help you be good at hockey."

Moser's captain with the Lightning, Hedman, chooses to focus on his children and making sure they know their extended family back home in Sweden.

"I try to be a good dad to my two boys. Being in Sweden in the summertime is arguably one of the best things: boating a lot, see my kids meet their cousins and grandparents. That's what it's all about."

Giving back to the community

There are also those who dedicate their time off to giving back to the community. Most players do so in different ways, some more time-intensive than others.

Jack Eichel, who's just signed a long-term contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights, said community contributions are important for him.

"Just trying to give back," he said. "I've given time and energy to, if it's not with family and friends, giving back to organisations that mean something to me and that I have ties to. I would say that's something I'm passionate about."

And the Utah Mammoth's JJ Peterka is going a step further, not just contributing money but helping grow the sport further in his native Munich, Germany.

"I'm building a little hockey rink, three against three, a small area at home in the backyard of my parents," he said.

"It's a big project I had for youth in Germany. I think especially back home in Munich, just getting together with the community and then doing stuff there is always great."

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