NHL players from several countries stopped at the Olympic Village, ate at the cafeteria and checked out their rooms.

Tkachuk had his camcorder out again.

“A lot of the athletes in there actually really liked it,” he said. “They were waving at it. I tried to get them to say their name and what sport they’re with. We’ve only had one meal there and only had a couple hours but met a lot of people that are really nice. It’s really, really cool to get to know them.

“Kind of toured it all. It’s wild. It’s a wild place, and it’s been really just cool to see everything. You dream as a young kid playing in the Olympics, the Olympic Village, being around the other best athletes in the world.

“Honestly, can’t believe I’m a part of it.”

Team Canada forward Mark Stone said he chatted with some speedskaters about their sport.

“I asked probably more questions in a 10-minute span talking with them than I have asked about hockey in the last 20 years,” he said. “It’s just fascinating to be a part of it, to be a part of more than just a hockey team. You’re part of a country that’s all competing for gold medals and bronze medals and silver medals, really just competing for a country. It’s a special feeling.”

NHL players usually stay in single rooms in posh hotels on the road. Here, they are doubling up in spartan rooms in the Olympic Village, and they’re loving it. It’s like a college dorm in décor and decorum.

“It’s minimalistic, but it’s got everything we need,” Sweden forward Lucas Raymond said. “It’s got a bed, a bathroom. Yeah, I mean, I think that’s a part of it. I think that’s part of the experience, being in the Olympic Village. It’s a fun tournament and fun to hang out with all the guys.”

Raymond is rooming with defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

“I don’t know if he’s a snorer,” Raymond said, “but we’ll find out tonight.”

That might not be the only noise issue. In the U.S. area, across the hall from brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes are the Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew.

“If we hear someone go through a wall in the middle of the night,” Eichel said, “we probably know where it came from.”

As if all that weren’t special enough, there was practice. The Olympic rings were everywhere — on the ice, on the boards, on video boards, on banners. In Santagiulia Arena, the main rink, they loomed large in one end zone.

“There’s something about it,” Team Switzerland defenseman Roman Josi said. “When you step out here, you see all the Olympic logos and everything, just the setup. It’s pretty cool to be back.”