Surprising Diets of Hockey stars

[Gerulaitis]

Wayne Gretzky used to eat McDonalds during his practice days

Ovechkin powers his game with chicken parm, Subway, cheetos and pepsi

MacKinnon sticks to a strict no-carb diet like chickpea pasta

Bobby Orr was known to eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before games for quick energy boost

What other hockey players have unusual /unconventional diet preferences? Drop your knowledge here

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Zdeno Chara followed a mostly vegan diet, only sometimes eating fish or eggs.

Iirc, Peter Forsberg said he ran home from lunch in school and pretty much subsisted on cinnamon buns for the longest time, and that it was rather late that he got into fitness and eating somewhat healthy, spurred by competing with his friend Markus Näslund.

Jonathan Hedström wrote an autobiography and has been a public speaker on the subject of eating disorders; issues which plagued his career for years. Haven’t read his book but listened to a couple of interviews. He broke through the SEL with my Luleå HF and was a beloved, gritty and fearless player whose game you thought would translate well into the NHL, but his mental health deteriorated and he’s talked about how he went from blocking shots like it was nothing to getting seriously hurt because of how skinny he was becoming.

It’s pretty dark but I think he overcame most of his struggles eventually and got healthy. Regarding his diet, I saw an interview late in his career where he talked about his eating disorder, while cooking the kind of food which worked out for him, I guess, but it seemed kind of peculiar. He made traditional Swedish ground beef patties (similar to meatballs) but without sauce or potatos, just the meat patties, “perhaps add some lingonberries mixed with ketchup”. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how odd that dish sounded to me.

 

[Voight]

Phil Kessel... no explanation needed

 

[Gerulaitis]

Phil Kessel... no explanation needed

Really? He was kind of a chubby guy

 

[Gerulaitis]

Zdeno Chara followed a mostly vegan diet, only sometimes eating fish or eggs.

Iirc, Peter Forsberg said he ran home from lunch in school and pretty much subsisted on cinnamon buns for the longest time, and that it was rather late that he got into fitness and eating somewhat healthy, spurred by competing with his friend Markus Näslund.

Jonathan Hedström wrote an autobiography and has been a public speaker on the subject of eating disorders; issues which plagued his career for years. Haven’t read his book but listened to a couple of interviews. He broke through the SEL with my Luleå HF and was a beloved, gritty and fearless player whose game you thought would translate well into the NHL, but his mental health deteriorated and he’s talked about how he went from blocking shots like it was nothing to getting seriously hurt because of how skinny he was becoming.

It’s pretty dark but I think he overcame most of his struggles eventually and got healthy. Regarding his diet, I saw an interview late in his career where he talked about his eating disorder, while cooking the kind of food which worked out for him, I guess, but it seemed kind of peculiar. He made traditional Swedish ground beef patties (similar to meatballs) but without sauce or potatos, just the meat patties, “perhaps add some lingonberries mixed with ketchup”. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how odd that dish sounded to me.

Nice to learn something new

 

[GMR]

Lemieux and Ovechkin are the poster boys for this topic.

 

[MadLuke]

Well known I think, but Georges Laraque was full vegan around 2009 and he was vegetarian before.

Because he was one of the heaviest player in the league (in a fighter), that could have surprised some. Would not be anything today, but the late 90s/2000s was still the old age.

 

[Brodeur]

Excerpt from 'Brodeur: Behind The Crease'

In an excerpt from the new book "Brodeur: Beyond The Crease," Devils goalie Martin Brodeur tells us what he goes through to prepare for a game.

www.espn.com

After the warmup, I go into the dressing room, take my mask and gloves off, and drink three-quarters of a can of Sprite. That's my drink. Gatorade hurts my stomach, and water just doesn't give me enough of a lift. I'll drink three cans of Sprite a night; one before the game, and one during each of the intermissions.

 

[The Panther]

Ken Hitchcock's diet c. 1980s to mid-1990s = everything not nailed down

Krutov = donuts

 

[shello]

Crosby and his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is pretty well known

 

[Gerulaitis]

Lemieux and Ovechkin are the poster boys for this topic.

What did Lemieux eat?

 

[Michael Farkas]

Lemieux quipped that him getting ready for the season meant not getting a milkshake with his burger and fries or something like that.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Ken Hitchcock's diet c. 1980s to mid-1990s = everything not nailed down

I forget if I learned this directly from him at a coaching clinic or from someone that he worked with...but he would sit there and eat a whole pizza, sometimes two, when reviewing the previous game's tape in Kamloops.

 

[Gerulaitis]

Lemieux quipped that him getting ready for the season meant not getting a milkshake with his burger and fries or something like that.

Probably burgers and fries were healthier back in the day

 

[Michael Farkas]

Speaking of the WHL, Pavel Brendl ate himself out of the league.

I met Andrew Ference once, he gave me the impression that he doesn't eat anything that used to have a shadow haha - I forget what his deal was but I remember it being interesting. He's a particular fella...

 

[WarriorofTime]

Krutov story is sad. Came over as an early Soviet. Collect calls not as practical and no internet to keep everyone more interconnected. No real support system in place. Just a guy with a huge culture shock, that didn’t speak the language, didn’t have much of a support system and newfound money/freedom. Latched onto junk food and alcohol to deal with depression.

 

[MK9]

I'm relatively certain that Keith Tkachuk post playing career ate an entire Keith Tkachuk from his actual playing career.

 

[JackSlater]

Two things I remember reading in the last few years. Brent Burns apparently mostly eats what he grows/raises, particularly meat from his ranch. Erik Karlsson has a disgusting pre-game meal he has eaten for his whole career of pasta, alfredo sauce, meat sauce, raw onion, hot sauce, and ketchup all mixed together, plus a side of chicken dipped in a lot of ranch dressing. There is video of Karlsson eating the monstrous concoction.

Bobby Hull ate a lot of steaks but when he broke his jaw he had to consume a meal of: 3/4 pounds of ground beef, a cup of half and half, a can of barley soup, half a cup of milk, and some raw eggs. Blended and consumed through a straw.

I would love to see something about Brett Hull's diet as a contrast.

 

[BadgerBruce]

Derek Sanderson claimed that his perfect pre-game meal was a steak and a blonde, though not necessarily in that order.

 

[The Panther]

Derek Sanderson claimed that his perfect pre-game meal was a steak and a blonde, though not necessarily in that order.

Why not at the same time? (Hockey players are pretty coordinated.)

About Gretzky and McDonald's: Bernie Nicholls said that on the day of every single Kings' practice and road game, Gretzky would take him to McDonald's. Nicholls said that after he was traded in 1990 and ever since, he has never been able to eat at McDonald's again.

 

[Crosby2010]

Lemieux quipped that him getting ready for the season meant not getting a milkshake with his burger and fries or something like that.

I believe the quote is him being asked what his off season training regimen was and he said: "Not ordering the fries with my sandwich."

I always wonder if Lemieux said that in a tongue in cheek kind of way or if it was true and he sort of said it in a rebellious type of way as if he didn't need the training.

Gerry Cheevers used to have it in his contract that he could have a beer in between periods.

 

[frisco]

The 80's Oilers had a thing for ice cream after practices and games and sometimes before. During training camp for the 1987 Canada Cup, Keenan didn't think it was healthy so Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Fuhr, etc., basically staged a bit of a revolt and got it back on the menu.

My Best-Carey

 

[McGarnagle]

 

[NyQuil]

Chychrun eats an ancestral diet apparently.

“Over the last two years, his ancestral diet, which promotes foods that our direct ancestors ate before the industrialization of the modern food chain, has taken on a new form, and the big-chain grocery stores don't have what he needs to keep his lifestyle going.”

“The heart actually surprisingly tastes pretty good, just tastes like meat, just a raw muscle meat, like a tartar," Chychrun said, then laughed, "The liver is terrible."”

Raw Heart, Raw Milk & Homemade Snickers Bars: How Capitals' Jakob Chychrun's Ancestral Diet Came To Be & How It Keeps Him Going

The Capitals defenseman has a strict eating regimen.

thehockeynews.com

 

[Mr Nogatco]

MacKinnon sticks to a strict no-carb diet like chickpea pasta

Impossible for a pro hockey player to be on a no carb diet