NHL players are officially back at the Winter Olympics for the first time since Sochi 2014.
Before the men’s hockey tournament begins on Wednesday 11, the league spotlighted a lighter side of the return with a social media post asking its stars which Olympic sport they’d want to compete in if it weren’t hockey.
In a video captioned “Still chasing gold, just not on the ice” and shared on different social media platforms, several NHL athletes revealed their picks, blending personality with Olympic energy as anticipation builds for Milan-Cortina.
Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals picked a summer sport.
“If I was to compete in another Olympic sport, I would love to compete in beach volleyball,” Wilson said. “My wife was a pro beach player, and I love watching it. I love playing it in the summer.”
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Jack Hughes, representing the New Jersey Devils and Team USA, made an indoor pick.
“We’re going about ping pong, honestly,” Hughes said. “ Like there’d be plenty I’d rather be good at. But I’m a good ping pong player.”
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman and Sweden's Victor Hedman leaned into the adrenaline.
“Skeleton, actually. Skeleton,” Hedman said. “I like to go fast.”
Colorado Avalanche blueliner and Canada’s Cale Makar offered a more measured choice.
“Maybe curling,” Makar said. “Curling’s probably a good one.”
Winnipeg Jets and Team USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was hesitant about the sport he wanted to take on, not having a clear answer for it.
“Is it the biathlon? Where you do cross-country skiing, shoot with a gun?,” Hellebuyck wondered. “I wouldn’t say it’s a biathlon.”
Pittsburgh Penguins legend and Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby ventured outside winter sports altogether.
“I’d probably go with summer, I think,” Crosby said. “I love to feel like what the runners feel like in 100 meter, so I would go with that.”
Buffalo Sabres forward and Team USA representative Tage Thompson reflected on his past.
“Probably baseball,” Thompson said. “I grew up playing baseball. Played at your, went to my sophomore year of high school. It was pretty good.”
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, one of the 12 NHL players playing for Czechia, kept it brief.
“Snowboarding,” Dostal said.
Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe, part of a full 25-man Swedish roster comprised exclusively of NHL players, kept it alpine.
“Skiing, probably like downhill skiing,” Kempe said.
Boston Bruins and Team USA goalie Jeremy Swayman doubled down on downhill.
“Downhill skiing,” Swayman said. “For sure, I’m so jealous of those guys. They’re awesome. Yeah, Super G, Slalom. Oh, it’s sick.”
Ottawa Senators and fellow American forward Brady Tkachuk funnily avoided one discipline altogether.
“Well, we could take every speed skating thing out of that one, so probably not that,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t know, bobsled or luge sled. One of those sports would be pretty fun to do.”
The men’s tournament begins Wednesday, with Slovakia vs. Finland and Sweden vs. Italy. Team USA’s first game is against Latvia on Thursday at 3:10 p.m. ET.