The Summer Olympics are nearly upon us, as the 2024 edition will take place in Paris, France starting July 26. The 18-day-long event is sure to help pass a good chunk of time until the NHL makes its return. But imagine if NHLers could participate in the summer games? With a young and talented group, the New Jersey Devils would have some great candidates in the fold:
Surfing – Jack Hughes
Jack Hughes is often seen on social media in the summer, enjoying beach life. That’s why it should be no surprise that the middle Hughes brother is likely an excellent surfer. If there were any doubts, he’s posted a few videos of him surfing on his Instagram, and he seems like he’s got it down pat. One video got over 85,000 likes, so fans seem to agree. If scoring 74 points in 62 NHL games wasn’t enough athletic success, he could certainly shred some waves in Paris.
Boxing – Kurtis MacDermid
Need I say more? Kurtis MacDermid has a whopping 90 fights registered in the Hockey Fights database. He had four in his short tenure with the Devils, including a much-anticipated bout against New York Rangers’ enforcer Matt Rempe. Research done by Sportshandle shows that MacDermid was one of three NHLers to not “lose” a single fight in the 2023-24 season, joining Tom Wilson and Nicolas Deslauriers.
3×3 Basketball – Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt & Luke Hughes
It’ll be just the second time that 3-on-3 basketball is featured in the Olympics, but this choice was a slam dunk (ha, get it). The format is eerily similar to ice hockey’s 3-on-3 overtime, in which there’s arguably no better trio than the Hughes brothers and Jesper Bratt. They use their speed and deceptive abilities to run circles around the opposition and wear them down until they get a great scoring chance.
Football (Soccer) – Tomas Tatar
Tomas Tatar is known to be a huge soccer guy. He’s always at the forefront of the pre-game juggling competitions that take place outside of the locker room. What did he do in the height of COVID quarantine boredom? He mixed his soccer juggling skills with hockey skills in this video. He loves to give a soccer-style celebration after goals, too.
Field Hockey – Jesper Bratt
Bratt is very good at ice hockey. So, who’s to say he can’t do the same on land? His trainer in Sweden, Andreas Ohgren, often posts Instagram videos of Bratt during the offseason. Based on some turf drills, it’s evident that Bratt has the same sort of explosive ability off the ice. With his shot, speed and deceptive ability – Bratt would likely take over the field hockey world, just like he did with the ice version of the sport.
Golf – Curtis Lazar
Despite being a bottom-sixer, Curtis Lazar is a vital piece to this Devils’ team. He’s seen as a happy-go-lucky guy who’s not afraid to throw some friendly chirps his teammates’ way. Don’t let that fool you: he’s ultra-competitive. In 2013, scouts asked him what he hated about himself, and he responded, “How hard I am on myself.” That all matches up with the laid-back, yet competitive sport of golf. Lazar occasionally posts golf content to his social media, including a recent partnership with a major golf company, PXG.
Rowing – Dawson Mercer
Dawson Mercer is known to be the outdoorsy type, famously creating a park bench out of hockey sticks. His love for boating and fishing is evident on his social media platforms, so it only makes sense that he’d succeed in a water sport. He could row past his opponents just like he squirts past defenders for a breakaway chance.
Related: Devils Can Expect More Success With Extra Attacker in 2024-25
Track & Field – Paul Cotter
The newest addition to the Devils’ bottom-six, Paul Cotter, is one of the faster players in the NHL with his top skating speed of 22.96 miles per hour (MPH). He had 153 “speed bursts over 20 MPH”, which was over double the league average of 73 (via NHL Edge). Formerly playing in Vegas, he’s no stranger to performing on a big stage as well.
Tennis – Nico Hischier
The Devils’ captain hails from Switzerland, which is one of the premier tennis countries in the world. Hischier has shown an ability to be quick and steady throughout his career. He also has great hand-eye coordination and can score on both the forehand and backhand, making him the perfect choice to play tennis.
Fencing – Jacob Markstrom
Unlike most Olympic sports, fencing is less focused on speed and more about a well-timed poke. Newest Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom has certainly displayed an ability to be fearless with his poke checks to help defeat the opposition. As seen by his plus-13.7 goals saved above expected (via MoneyPuck), he can stop pucks and can probably stop a sword as well.
Archery – Timo Meier
Similar to fencing, archery is more of a specialty sport. It’s less focused on speed, and more so on doing one thing exceptionally well, in this case, shooting…and not many players in the NHL are better at shooting than Timo Meier. He scored 40 goals in 2022-23, then an injury hindered his ability in 2023-24, but he rebounded and finished with 17 goals in his last 23 games. His shot is lethal.
Water Polo – Dougie Hamilton
Dougie Hamilton typically lurks around the blue line, waiting for his moment to take the big shot. He can certainly do the same in water polo, especially since his ~21 minutes a night shows he has the stamina to do so. While the ice may be much warmer in this sport, Hamilton’s ability to come up clutch in big moments can likely translate to the pool.
Volleyball – Brenden Dillon
The newly acquired Brenden Dillon stands at a menacing 6-foot-4, making him the ideal height for an Olympic volleyball competitor. His ~19 minutes a night on the ice shows that he has the stamina to keep up with the long rallies, and his 1,181 career blocked shots make him the perfect candidate to jump up and block an incoming spike.
Honorable Mention: Announcer – Bill Spaulding
Imagine if the Devils’ play-by-play announcer got to announce these exciting international events. Oh wait, he does. Bill Spaulding will be announcing track and field for NBC throughout the Olympics. If only the speedy Cotter was a participant…
Olympics/Offseason Outlook
Once the Olympics wrap up, training camp will only be about a month and a half away. In the meantime, you can stay tuned to The Hockey Writers’ Devils team as your one-stop shop for consistent and thorough Devils coverage. If you have other Devils’ candidates for certain Olympic events, or would have changed anything, feel free to comment!
