The NHL season is one of the longest and most difficult in all sports. It’s important that players prioritize both their physical and mental well-being throughout the whole season. One way players do this is by having hobbies in their free time when they’re not on the ice. Many players have hobbies they do within the season, and then also ones that they do when they are in their offseason.
There’re long travel days on road trips in the NHL, so many players rely on their favorite hobbies to kill time on planes and in hotels. I’m sure others have played in an online casino too while bouncing around cities in the regular season. It’s also a nice break away from the stress and hardships that come with their line of work. Some of these hobbies are ones that many folks have in their daily lives, while there are others that are unique and rather rare.
Popular In-Season Hobbies
Many of the in-season hobbies that NHL players have are ones they can do by themselves, specifically on road trips where they have lots of time to themselves. One of the most popular hobbies is music. Many players listen to their favorite artists while traveling and also before and after games. Some players even enjoy playing instruments, such as former NHL goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who enjoys playing the guitar in his spare time. Another common one that can be done in free time and while traveling is reading. There are many players that enjoy reading genres of all sorts in between games. In addition to these hobbies, many NHL players really enjoy playing poker and other card games in their spare time. This is a great way to keep up the competitive spirit while bonding with teammates while on the road. Players like Wayne Simmonds have been known to play poker in their free time.
Notable Offseason Activities
There are many hobbies and activities that NHL players enjoy doing, but for some of these things, they just do not have enough time during the season to do these things. One of the biggest summertime hobbies for hockey fans is playing golf. An enormous amount of hockey players enjoy playing golf, as it’s often said that golf is the “number one sport for hockey players”. It’s a great way for them to stay competitive while spending some time outdoors with family and friends. There are also many players who like to play in charity outings and pro-ams that raise money for good causes. Another hobby that players have but have literally zero time to do it during the season is taking vacations. Many players love exploring and traveling the world, likely because the NHL is made up of players from all around the globe. Taking vacations is a great way for NHL players to spend unforgettable time with their families and loved ones in unbelievable locations. A final thing that many players do during the offseason is spent time doing charity and volunteer work. There may be brief times during the season when they do some of this work, but a bulk of it is done during the offseason. It may not seem like a hobby to some, but many NHL players love to give back to the community and support local charities and causes. It’s a great way for them to give back to their fans, acknowledge and connect with the community in which they live, and take some time to do work that is good for the soul. I’d imagine that any hobby done in the offseason is better than taking a hard hit on the boards during the regular season.