Like many before him, Florida’s sunny climate seduced Swedish-born Victor Hedman, defenceman for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“You wake up every morning and it’s sunny, and you feel energized right away,” says Hedman, who has been exploring Tampa since he was drafted in 2009. “You can put on shorts and flip-flops and go to practice and play hockey. I’m very fortunate to play here.”
And if he misses the cold of his homeland? There are always away games in Canada, he says.
Here, Hedman shares five places he loves off the ice.
Don CeSar
“There’s a hotel on St. Pete Beach that I go to called the [Loews] Don CeSar. It’s a big pink hotel right on the beach. You can eat at the beach, order drinks. The water’s always nice. It’s probably a 20-minute drive from downtown Tampa with no traffic. It’s a great beach, one of the best beaches in the U.S. I go there to relax.” 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, loewshotels.com/don-cesar
edison food + drink lab
“It’s a good crowd and usually very busy. Its menu is a bit different. My favourite is crispy chicken with waffles. It’s delicious. Very good hand-made drinks. That would be a go-to restaurant for me. The Moscow Mule is my favourite: ginger beer, a little bit of vodka and a lot of ginger and lime juice.” 912 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, edison-tampa.com
Ocean Prime
“It’s a little more traditional, but very good seafood and steak. The tuna tartare is the best one in Tampa. It’s right by the mall, but it’s by a pond, so you can sit outside. I know visiting teams usually go there for team meals, so it’s a good spot.” 2205 N. West Shore Blvd., Tampa, ocean-prime.com
Ciro’s
“It’s a speakeasy club so you need a password to get in. Inside, there are rules: You can’t be loud. You can’t dance. There’s a little bit of music. It’s a spot to go grab a drink after a game. It’s a lot of fun.” 2109 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa, cirostampa.com
Soho Sushi
“It’s probably a 10-minute drive from downtown Tampa. It’s a small place and usually it’s very crowded, so you have to wait. It’s very fresh and has good variety. The fresh tuna, the yellowtail, is unbelievable.” 3218 W. Kennedy Blvd., sohosushi.com
This interview has been edited and condensed