The NHL playoffs are in full swing — for some.
Sixteen of the league’s 30 teams are locked in first-round battles as the the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs heat up. The other 14 franchises have been pushed to the sidelines. That includes all seven Canadian clubs.
Strictly by the numbers (so, this doesn’t consider the difference in skill between, say, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals), the odds of a Canuck shutout are one in 667, says BMO Economics. “A 0.15 per cent chance,” calculates Douglas Porter, its chief economist. “Or about once a millennium,” he adds, salting the wound.
Still, those heading home early don’t have it so bad. To demonstrate this, we’ve rounded up six homes that NHL stars, both past and present, have scored.
Phil Kessel’s one-time Bay Street condo
Former Leaf Phil Kessel could’ve taken in sweeping views of downtown Toronto from the wraparound terrace of his former Toronto home, a sky-high condo at 716 Bay. More often, he played video games for hours, it seems. No surprise that the soaring 5,000-square-foot unit has a media wall, then. However, the open-concept unit — the Toronto Star reports sold for over $3 million this month — boasts perks such as a spa-like bathroom and two-car garage below, too. As a Leaf, Kessel likely made himself quite at home here during postseason action.
Tyler Seguin’s fine example of Southern comfort
Mike Modano, a former Stars’ sensation and present-day Hall of Famer, sold this 7,250-square-foot home at 6424 Mimosa Lane in Dallas to the team’s current phenom, 24-year-old centre Tyler Seguin two years ago, reports TMZ. As pictured above it may not seem like much (thanks, Google), but it does have a putting range, impressive waterworks, and a “romance room” — Seguin’s words — with a candle-lit chandelier. Don’t ask. Just watch.
Jose Theodore’s yacht club abode
Backing onto a deep canal, retired backstop Jose Theodore’s estate in Boca Raton features a dock, large patio, four-car garage and “lush tropical landscaping,” according to an old Redfin listing. The Vezina and Hart Trophy winner purchased this home, tucked away in Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, a posh gated community, back in 2011 for a cool $3.35 million, The Real Deal reports.
Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood’s former secluded Ottawa estate
Jarome Iginla’s previous modern mansion in Calgary
When superstar right-winger Jarome Iginla was racking up points for the Calgary Flames, he called a 5,000-square-foot modernist mansion in Cowtown his home. Windows that rival the glass on hockey boards in size, a four-car garage, bar and backyard sports court are all included in Iggy’s past abode, which he sold for a little under $4 million in April 2013, according to the Calgary Herald.
Wayne Gretzky’s So-Cal oasis
Photo: Engel & Völkers
The Great One’s French-style home at 129 Hampstead Court is “the epitome of Southern California glamour with unparalleled quality, privacy, luxury, and chic sophistication,” says its Realtor.com listing. The 8,711-square-foot manor spills onto a one-acre lot tucked between the Santa Monica Mountains’ rocky peaks and across from the elite Sherwood Country Club. With all those Stanley Cup runs, maybe Number 99 is making up for lost time on the green.
