Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you: Lacing up against Cal Clutterbuck always made everyone nervous. The former New York Islanders’ star is the all-time NHL leader in terms of hits (4,029), and wasn’t exactly known for sparing his opponents any quarter on the ice. Still, his retirement was a sad day for the hockey fans around the country and beyond. Thankfully, though, it seems like the sportsman that Clutterbuck is, he has a lot to keep himself occupied.

The ex-NYI winger discovered his love for golf as a teenager and continues to hone his skills with the golf club. Watching former NHL forward Joe Pavelski win in the American Century Celebrity Championship on his 41st birthday made Clutterbuck wish he could one day go on to attain a similar feat—however, one small step at a time.

In an article on NHL.com from July 21, the retired hockey star spilled the beans on his current goal. As per the report, Clutterbuck has registered to compete “at the New York State Open Championship, a 54-hole, stroke-play event, with a cut after 36 holes.” And going by the looks of things, he doesn’t seem too uncomfortable on the golf course either.

On Day 1 of the tournament, the ex-NHL star scored 82 and even came close to posting an eagle on 15. “I missed a couple of birdies, but I hit one. I was putting it well. It’s tough, the level of focus you need for almost five hours. When things are going well, you want to just keep riding it,” Cal said about how the New York State Open Championship is calling for his undivided attention. However, despite the rigor, it is undeniably a break from the hectic schedule of the hockey regular season.

But being away from the skating rink is something that makes Clutterbuck feel the blues. “I miss some of the things around playing hockey — being in the room and hanging out, kind of feeling you’re a part of a group that’s trying accomplish something,” he said. But playing games one after the other isn’t something he misses all that much. “But as far as like getting ready for 82 games a year and going out and playing the way that I was playing … I loved it, don’t get me wrong. I loved every minute of it. But there comes a point when you get removed from it for a year and you’re like, ‘Gosh, I’m not sure how I did that for that long’,” he told NHL.com.

But while the challenge at hand has the NHL celebrity locked in, he has bigger dreams. Replicating Pavelski’s American Century Celebrity Championship success is what keeps Cal motivated. “That would be cool,” the retired winger grinned. But first things first. On the first day of the ongoing open golf tournament, Clutterbuck posted several bogeys. If he wishes to advance to Wednesday’s round at the Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, New York, he will have to improve by about 10 strokes on Day 2 of the New York State Open Championship.

But Clutterbuck isn’t the first pro athlete from New York who’s trying to excel on the golf course after calling it a day at his former office. In 2023, Mets infielder Jeff McNeil also competed at the New York State Open Championship, making use of the MLB All-Star break. However, McNeil didn’t manage to make the cut to advance too far into the tournament, and the former NHL star would definitely want to fare better.

But Cal isn’t the only NHL veteran with an affinity toward golf.

The NHL’s high demands make golf look like a breeze

Earlier this month, TSN’s legendary NHL analyst Bob McKenzie announced his retirement after decades of covering the Free Agent Frenzy. While his colleagues made sure to send off McKenzie with a segment to remember, the seasoned hockey pundit shared his own plans for the future via a post on X. In the social media update, Bob revealed that he looks forward to playing even more golf than now. Maybe he, too, needs a break from the frantic NHL calendar that has again and again become a talking point for the stakeholders.

For the Florida Panthers, the 2024-25 campaign was a brilliant one. And yet, despite the Cats successfully defending the Stanley Cup, coach Paul Maurice couldn’t help but frown at how tough the NHL schedule was to deal with. But his team pulled through, and the coach couldn’t be prouder. “They’re a very, very fit group,” Maurice talked about how the playoffs brought out the best of his squad.

In light of such issues, it’s not hard to see why Clutterbuck is feeling good spending time at the golf club, or why he isn’t shy to challenge his own pace in a completely new sport. So how do you think he will perform at the New York State Open Championship on Tuesday? Share your predictions with us!