The Montreal Canadiens forward had the lowest score (-1) in the event, which used a combination of hockey and golf shots, by making his third shot of the par-4 that featured an island green. Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars, Johnny Gaudreau of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes finished tied for second (even) behind Suzuki.
"Ton of fun," Suzuki said Friday. "Made a nice putt at the end to win. I think the fans probably liked that event. It was pretty cool to be a part of."
For the first two shots of the inaugural event, the players used a hockey stick and shot hockey pucks, which were placed on an artificial ice slab, onto the green. All four players had accurate first two shots, including their second strokes, when each successfully avoided the water hazard. Once on the green, they putted with a hockey stick and golf ball.
"I thought it was a fun event," NHL chief content officer and executive vice president Steve Mayer said. "The guys enjoyed playing 'hockey golf,' and I do think it tested their skill a bit. Our goal on all of these events: how do you sort of mix something they do on the ice with something that is unique and different? Golf is perfect for Florida, so we're really happy with the way it went."
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After sinking the winning 12-foot putt for birdie, Suzuki, who is Canadiens captain, waved to the raucous crowd of season-ticket holders and club members from the Florida Panthers, who are hosting the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend. Suzuki, an avid golfer and former greenskeeper who asked to play a round after the event was over, was in his glory with the victory. He also clinched a year's supply of Chipotle.
"It's awesome to hear; I didn't know that coming in, so it's a huge bonus," Suzuki said about the prize. "Big [Chipotle] bowl guy -- steak and chicken, rice, sour cream."
Corey Conners, the top-ranked Canada-born golfer on the PGA Tour who grew up playing hockey until he was 18 years old, took some practice shots on the unique course before the event and was interacting with the NHL players during the Pitch 'n Puck competition.
"These guys are All-Stars, so they made it look really easy," Conners said. "I certainly would have had a tough time getting the puck over the water."
The feeling was mutual for Suzuki, who said it was a dream to be up close and personal with a pro golfer of Conners' caliber and get some tips in the process. Suzuki said he has a golf handicap of about 10 and room for improvement.
"I'd love to (join the PGA Tour)," Suzuki said with a laugh. "It was incredible to watch (Conners) play golf. I can't pull off any of the stuff that he's doing."
Mayer said the idea of having the NHL players hitting a golf ball with a hockey stick was inspired by the 1996 movie "Happy Gilmore." In the film, actor Adam Sandler's character loved to play hockey and became an unconventional golf star because he often was putting with a hockey stick and wearing a Boston Bruins jersey.
"What a classic, great movie," Mayer said. "Those mixtures -- when we combine sports -- it's just fun. We don't want to shy away from it. The more we do, the better."
