In this case, it was about the destination.

Former NHLer Ray Whitney finally made it to the Olympics - but he isn't playing, and these aren't the Winter Games. The point is, though, he made it, albeit in unconventional fashion

Whitney is serving as Canadian golfer Graham DeLaet's caddy at Rio 2016, writes The News Observer's Luke DeCock, after DaLaet's caddy - recently married - turned down his invitation over concerns about the Zika virus.

"I mean, it's not how I thought I'd get to the Olympics," Whitney said. But he's in Rio now, and trying to enjoy the experience. He knows what he's there for.

"(DeLaet) knows I know how to play the game. He's going to read his own putts. But I can talk strategy with him, keep him loose. It's no different than when I was in the locker room, trying to keep Roddie (Brind'Amour) loose."

While Whitney always dreamed of playing hockey for Canada at the Olympics, he knew the odds were slim, writes DeCock, despite a career that saw him record an impressive 1,064 points.

DeLaet and Whitney - now a scout with the Carolina Hurricanes - play golf against each other in Arizona, where they both live, and DeLaet was impressed with Whitney's game.

"I wanted a Canadian with me, and I was kind of running through the names and thought it would be a lot of fun. He's a guy who's got experience winning, a real positive guy who likes to have a lot of fun," DeLaet said. "That's really what I was looking for as a rent-a-caddy for the week."

Ray Whitney: A rent-a-caddy with a Stanley Cup ring and, just maybe, an Olympic medal. That'd be something.

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