Elon Musk‘s Tesla is not exactly having a good time right now. Besides slumping stock prices, even President Trump introducing 25% tariffs on cars made outside the U.S. has just added to Tesla’s growing woes. “The tariff impact on Tesla is still significant,” Musk commented on X. Amidst these troubles, even NHL star Jakob Chychrun couldn’t help but discuss the car manufacturer.

Appearing on the Grant and Danny show on 106.7 the Fan, the Washington Capital left shooter explained why he ditched his Tesla. “We actually bought a new car a few weeks ago,” said Chychrun, who is a massive health and fitness fanatic. “We had a Tesla for a while that we’ve wanted to get rid of,” said the Capitals star who just signed a $72 million deal with the Capitals. But the question is: Why?

The answer is health concerns. “We’re pretty big — as you guys know, we talk about our health and wellness a lot — we just had a weird feeling about sitting on a battery all day in the car, so we wanted to get rid of the Tesla, move on from the electric,” Jakob Chychrun explained during the podcast. So what did the NHL defenseman buy instead?

A Mercedes. “I got my wife her dream car, which was a G-Wagon,” explained the Washington Capitals player. Yet, an unorthodox approach to health is nothing new for Chychrun. Besides training and following a strict nutrition plan to stay in peak form for the NHL, Chychrun is always on top of the latest health and fitness research, often adopting unique and even quirky practices.

Take Jakob Chychrun’s ancestral diet, for example. The ice hockey star has consumed raw milk, liver, beef heart, fresh veggies, and fruits. He has also cut off supermarkets and gets his groceries sourced directly from farmers. “It’s trying to eat seasonally and trying to eat the highest quality stuff you can find and knowing where your food’s coming from,” the defenseman told The Hockey News last year. However, affording luxury SUVs shouldn’t be an issue for Chychrun moving forward.

Jakob Chychrun’s monumental contract with the Capitals

Signing an eight-year, $72 million contract extension after just one season with the Washington Capitals skyrocketed Chychrun’s value. The NHL’s offensive-defenseman has also put up stats to back those numbers. The 2024-25 season has been one of his best on the ice, with the defenseman scoring a career-high 44 points and counting.

Yet, this contract extension didn’t just materialize out of thin air. Jakob Chychun explained that his agent and the Capitals got started on the player’s long-term future with the team early in the season. Chychrun explained it was a blessing in disguise. “It made it easier on me… is able to just go play and try to take care of business,” explained the 26-year-old.

It also gave time for the NHL player to put up some stellar stats, making his case even stronger. “Then it really picked up the last three or four days,” before GM Chris Patrick announced the contract extension. Chychrun also expressed relief about the extension getting locked ahead of the playoffs. Now the defenseman plans to “enjoy the ride,” and do his best to help the Capitals lift the Stanley Cup this year. Yet only time will tell if the first-year Capitals’ member succeeds.