The gloves are off and David Suzuki and the NHL Players’ Association have extended a challenge to hockey players: go green or go home.

Okay, maybe that's not a direct quote. However, as part of the NHLPA Carbon Neutral Challenge, both groups have invited players to make eco friendly choices in both their personal and professional lives.

Research estimates that each player contributes 10 tons of carbon emissions during hockey season due to the considerable amount of travel involved in the job description. Each player is being asked to make an annual commitment of $290 - or $29 per ton. The players are also being asked to focus on the choices they make off the ice, such as the type of vehicle they drive (commonly SUVs).

Andrew Ference, a defenceman for the Boston Bruins, is one of the driving forces behind the program.

''It's an opportunity and a responsibility,'' says Ference. ''How many kids are watching NHL players and emulating them on the ice? And to see what those same heroes are doing off the ice is very powerful. That's a responsibility that falls on any professional athlete or high-profile person's shoulders, what kind of message are they putting out there? What are they standing for as a group?”

David Suzuki added his own two cents regarding the influence players can have by becoming involved in the project.

''Environmentalists would kill to get this type of attention. Let's face it, an old crusty guy like me, an environmentalist, who the hell is going to listen to me? But these guys connect directly with our youth and it's all about the future.''

Wow, even more surprising than this initiative is apparent evidence that David Suzuki has a sense of humor and the ability to poke fun at himself. Will wonders never cease?

» TSN