Cole Caufield Opens Up About His Secret Off‑Season Passion: Competitive Beekeeping Takes the Sting Out of Hockey Pressure
MONTREAL (June 10, 2025) — Over the hockey offseason, Cole Caufield isn’t lacing up skates or sticking strictly to on‑ice drills. Instead, the Montreal Canadiens sniper has been donning a beekeeper’s suit — and it’s changing how he approaches the game.
In a candid conversation last week, the 23‑year‑old NHL star revealed he’s taken up competitive beekeeping, a hobby he discovered through a childhood friend’s apiary in rural Wisconsin. What started as casual curiosity — a weekend spent shadowing a local beekeeper — quickly turned serious. “The first time I held a hive frame, watched bees at work, it was … zen,” Caufield shared. “It’s so structured and precise. There’s nowhere for your mind to wander — no pressure, no expectations.”
From Ice to Hives: A Perfect Mind Shift
Competitive beekeeping isn’t about trophies or televised titles — it’s fielding the healthiest hives, exhibiting at state fairs, and refining hive management. Caufield admits his competitive streak drove him to study queen breeding techniques, comb design, and honey production. His Twitter followers were treated to videos of him meticulously checking brood frames, replacing old brood combs, and explaining the rhythms of swarm prevention.
“That calm focus you need in the hive,” he says, “that’s exactly what you learn to carry back onto the ice during tense game moments.”
Season‑Prep with a Twist
Caufield says the rigorous demands of beekeeping — especially during spring build-up — offered a Level‑headed emotional reset from the grind of pro hockey.
A Buzz in the Canadiens Community
Teammates told reporters they were amused and impressed. “He sent around honey from his first colonies,” said one linemate (who asked to stay anonymous). “It was unbelievable — sweet, floral, so different from store stuff. You could tell he’d devoted serious time to it.”
Coach Martin St.‑Louis even quipped at a recent press conference that Caufield’s calm demeanor this preseason was no fluke. “I asked him if he’d been meditating or something. He said, ‘No, Coach — just minding my bees.’”
Looking Ahead
Caufield plans to return this autumn with two fully active hives and hopes to enroll in the Quebec Honey Guild show next spring. “I still love hockey, obviously,” he laughs. “But when I feel pressure building, I just imagine checking a hive, bees flying around — and I remember how to breathe again.”
Final Take
As the Canadiens prepare for training camp, Cole Caufield’s offseason revelation offers more than a fun anecdote. It’s a deeper lesson in balance, mindfulness, and unconventional preparation — proving that sometimes the sweetest victories come from the quiet hum of a beehive.