By Jeremy Rutherford, Michael Russo and Peter Baugh
After an NHL season, players have months before they have to step on a training camp scale and officially weigh themselves. foods.
Maybe it’s a sweet treat, like Mom’s cookies. Maybe it’s a meat lover’s pizza or a juicy burger from a local establishment. Anything that a player can’t get in his NHL hometown or isn’t necessary is too much time consuming.
What are the favorites?
“Is bourbon a cheat food?” asked an NHL player.
All kidding aside, in asking around the league about summer cheat meals, we learned a lot about the eating habits of NHL players. Since they are very active from September to the end of the season, some pay more attention to their diets from June to August.
“It might sound strange, but I probably eat more junk food during the season because I burn more calories,” says Vegas’ Mark Stone. “That’s why I’m more dangerous to eat in the summer.”
This is true, according to Jon Benne, owner of Elevated Performance, a training facility in St. Louis where you’ll find Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk, Vegas’ Alex Pietrangelo and others working out in the offseason.
Benne, a former Blues assistant strength and conditioning coach, estimates that an NHL player takes in approximately 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day and burns anywhere from 1,800 to 2,500 during a game. In the offseason, when many stop skating for four to six weeks, they can limit themselves to 2,500 calories, or less, depending on their body composition and goals.
“There are some guys who are skinny, who can get away with eating whatever they want, but we can restrict certain calories or certain foods,” Benne said. “When they start camp, they’re at a certain weight, they know the weight, and they want to get there because last year they had a good year. If they don’t feel good on the ice, that’s their career. Everyone’s getting faster, and they have to stay lean to stay faster. So with their calories consumed and burned, it’s a fine line you have to walk.
However, these physical specimens make exceptions, and what they eat will satiate your taste buds.
The Athletic surveyed more than 20 players, and whether it was on the European media tour in Sweden or at Minnesota’s Target Field, where the Wild’s Marcus Foligno threw out the first pitch of the Twins game, they licked their chops while talking about their top dish or go to the place.
“I’m looking forward to it now just talking about it,” said David Perron of Detroit.
JJ Moser, Arizona
“Swiss bread. We are used to freshly baked bread every day. That’s something that I eat a lot in the summer, that I ate a lot of before I moved to the States. It’s somewhat absent in the States. “
Hampus Lindholm, Boston
When he is in Sweden for the offseason, Lindholm likes to cook often and eat fresh local food. “We have a lot more rules, so stores don’t have food that (has too much) bad stuff in it,” he said. In the US, Lindholm has to be more careful and make sure he doesn’t buy food with too many additives.
Lindholm also talks about local Swedish foods that she can’t get in the US
“Classic Swedish meatballs, potatoes and gravy and fresh lingonberries,” he says. “I almost like that more than fast food. … I’d rather have a nice plate of that than pizza.”
Martin Necas, Carolina
“This is a Czech traditional dish called Knedlo vepřo zelo. It’s like a potato dumpling with cabbage and duck.
Connor Bedard, Chicago
“My favorite is probably the sushi. I’m from Vancouver, so I’d like to say that, outside of Japan, this is probably the best sushi out there. It’s probably one of my favorite foods. When you come back, it’s great there. That was a good summer.”
Fredrik Olofsson, Colorado
“I’m pretty conscious of what I eat so there aren’t many changes, but if I had to choose one thing, it would be cookie dough. I am a cookie dough monster. “
Miro Heiskanen, Dallas
“There is a fast-food restaurant in Finland called Hesburger. This is a great place to get hamburgers. It’s great, and I wish that was in the US”
David Perron, Detroit
“Mine is Quebec poutine. French fries with special poutine cheese and sauce. I go to Louis Luncheonette in Sherbrooke. It’s the same old-school place I’ve been going my whole life, and I’m bringing the Stanley Cup there in 2019.
Cody Ceci, Edmonton
“For me, it’s a Blizzard from Dairy Queen because I’m not going to eat a Blizzard in the middle of winter in Edmonton.”
Alexander Barkov, Florida
“Chicken wings in Finland. They are so thin and small and crispy!”
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida
“The dirty wings from OB Clark in St. Louis. The seasoning they put on their wings is the best. Throw in a little ranch and hot sauce on the side. When our team arrived in St. Louis, they usually ask me where we order food. I told them this year that I want them to cater to the wings of OB”
Joel Eriksson-Ek, Minnesota
Eriksson-Ek says that the Karlstad (Sweden) tradition he misses most is a bread called Strössellangd, with vanilla whipped cream in the middle and sprinkles. “It’s not good for you, but it’s very good!” he said.
Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota
“My grandmother’s pierogies and cabbage rolls. The only time I dare eat it on a regular basis is during the holidays when we’re away!”
Marcus Foligno, Minnesota
“We call it Crescia sfogliata. I have it once a year and my mother-in-law makes it. It’s very Italian! It’s almost this flaky cheese bread that’s like a pita and covered in lard. Then you throw it away prosciutto and swiss chard on it and roll it up. It’s crazy! I only eat it once a year, haha, and I look forward to it.
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa
“In the summer, I’d say a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. Cheddar cheese, extra bacon, double eggs and lots of oil! There’s a place in New Jersey called Buoy’s Manasquan that we like, and in St. Louis, I like them at Old Warson (Country Club).”
Tim Stützle, Ottawa
“I would say Schnitzel. It’s so delicious, you’ll think you’re eating dessert. It reminds me of my family, and no one makes Schnitzel better than my mom.”
Jacob MacDonald, San Jose
Earlier this offseason, MacDonald went through a phase of making German pancakes, also known as Dutch babies. Growing up in Vancouver, Wash., he first tried the dish at Elmer’s Restaurant. His mom took the recipe from the restaurant, refined it, and that recipe stayed in the family.
“It’s a bit of a process, but I’ll go through the stages,” he said. “I went through a bit of a period in the spring after the season.”
Nico Sturm, San Jose
Sturm goes to his grandmother for lunch every day when he spends time in his native Germany in the summer. He lives in Augsburg and cooks his grandson dishes after a calorie-laden workout.
“It’s a good thing I’ve been working out a lot over the summer,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ll come back overweight.”
Some of Sturm’s favorite dishes: beef roulade, Kaiserschmarrn (similar to pancake bites) with apple sauce and pork chops with potato dumplings and pears. More important for Sturm, however, are all the meals that go into brotzeit, the quintessential German snack time. They have pretzels that are not made with bleached wheat or soy, along with sausages, cheeses and vegetables.
“It’s a staple in every household and the ingredients should always be there,” says Sturm.
Mark Stone, Vegas
“When I come back to Canada in the summer, I like to treat myself to iced cappuccinos from Tim Hortons. That’s my focus.”
Rasmus Sandin, Washington
“Cheat food, maybe kebab pizza. Man, you gotta try it. It’s kebab on top of pizza. It’s, ah, wow!”
Martin Fehervary, Washington
“Slovak sausage. It was great, and I miss it so much.”
When his friends visit him in the US, they bring him sausage.
Brenden Dillon, Winnipeg
“Oreo ice cream sandwich. I go to Mister Ice Cream, which is a minute’s walk from my place in Vancouver, during the offseason. I’m a huge Oreo guy, and I can easily crush a box in one sitting, haha! I have never found a better Oreo/ice cream dessert than Mister’s. I treat myself once a week. Unbelievable!”
(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic, with photos from Michael Reaves, Derek Leung, Brett Carlsen and Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images)