Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Before NHL players reported to camps and geared up for the 2024-25 regular season, the summer was all about relaxing and getting away, but for Jacob Trouba, it was about channelling another one of his passions. This past summer, his art exhibit, “Landing My Mark”, was displayed at Harper’s Gallery in Manhattan, showcasing the more creative side of his life away from Madison Square Garden.
Trouba isn’t the first player to have a creative side or a hobby that may be a bit unique from other players past and present. Let’s take a look at others from around the hockey world who have entered very interesting spaces off the ice:
Scott Darling Enters The World Of Stand-Up Comedy
The second act of hundreds of NHL players involved them picking up a microphone and talking to people in a broadcast format, but what about doing it as a stand-up comedian? As far as we know, former goaltender Scott Darling is one of a kind.
After ending his career after 2020-21 and getting into the comedy world, Darling has been able to participate in multiple comedy events not only in the Chicago area but across North America and has shown that he’s got a knack for making people laugh with various stories from his playing days, personal life and time as a Chicago Blackhawks television broadcaster.
Matt Lashoff’s Music Career
Matt Lashoff’s NHL career lasted only 74 games, but while his time in the league may have been short, he still found a way to make it memorable. As a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lashoff released an album in 2011 called “Living on Heart,” which consisted of seven songs and led to more than a few interviews about his passion for music.
The album is currently available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, but this wouldn’t be the end of Lashoff’s music career. He’s continued to produce music over the past decade with multiple albums, singles, and EPs, including an album and EP release in 2023.
Look In The Sky, It’s A Bird, No, It’s Alexei Kovalev!
Alexei Kovalev marched to the beat of his own drum in many ways, be it with his play or with his personality, so it seems fitting that a hobby of his for many years was something a little off the beaten path when it comes to flying. Kovalev has held a pilot’s license for well over a decade and, while playing for the Montreal Canadiens, flew himself to training camp in the mid-2000s.
His passion saw him start flying single-engine planes and moving to more complex aircraft. There’s a chance you may have looked up in the sky and didn’t know one of the NHL’s more gifted puck handlers of the 1990s and 2000s was right above you.
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