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 quarters 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 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 by 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.
Credit – Instagram/Cal Clutterback
But being away from the skating rink obviously 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.
The story is developing
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