NHL players share incredible photos of pickup hockey played on mountain

If it wasn't the coldest outdoor game of shinny on a glacier, it was certainly the coolest.

A handful of NHL players -- Vancouver Canucks forwards Elias Pettersson and Zack MacEwen, defenseman Alexander Edler and goalie Thatcher Demko, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Troy Stecher, and free agent defenseman Jason Garrison -- took a journey up a mountain about 60 miles north of Rogers Arena for a quick pickup game.

The trip was put together by Bradley Friesen, a Vancouver-based helicopter pilot.

It took place on November 7, before more strict limits on travel were enacted in Canada. Patrick Chan, an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, and his wife, Canadian figure skater Elizabeth Putnam, joined the group.

The jaw-dropping photos were shared by some of the players on Sunday, the same day the New York Times published a photo essay about the trip.

"The pictures don't even do it justice but.... throwback to a little hockey in paradise," Demko wrote on his Instagram post, which featured a three-photo slideshow.

"Pretty indescribable feeling taking a helicopter way up in the mountains for an unforgettable day and one crazy place to play pond hockey #tb," MacEwen wrote on Instagram.

Pettersson shared his teammates posts to his Instagram story.

Stetcher posted a photo of him handling a puck on the glacier with a simple caption that seemingly summed up the trip for everyone. It said only: "Outdoor heaven."