TEMPE, Ariz. — Standing outside the visitors' locker room after an NHL game, you start to notice something odd.
Postgame meals include fruit, and the tables are almost always stacked with pizza boxes.
And that greasy, cheesy option seems to be the most popular.
So why do the world's top athletes eat several slices in a short amount of time?
“Hmm, I don't know,” Matthew Barzal told the Post after Thursday's morning skate in Arizona. “It's early. It's probably been around for years. There's pizza everywhere. I really don't know.”
he asked Anders Lee and Bo Horvat. “Do you guys know?”
Horvat gave a speechless shrug.
Lee had the answer.
“I mean, I love it,” Lee told the Post. “I haven't had a full meal since lunch. I get a snack in the afternoon, so I have what I need. But then suddenly it's 10 o'clock and I haven't had a full meal since noon.” So it could be another hour before you get to the plane to eat.
“So, you eat a few slices to get some kind of carbohydrate into your body so that your body can provide you with energy.” [it]. And it tastes good too. most of the time. “
To be clear, this is not just something the islanders are doing.
It's the entire league.
Despite the obvious irony, this seems to work out well for everyone involved.
Lee said Islanders strength and conditioning coach Derek Douglas is responsible for keeping the team in order.
Usually includes pepperoni and cheese, but may vary by city. In certain regions, the menu may also change to reflect local cuisine.
“Buffalo gave us wings,” Lee said. “We used to have Philadelphia cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, but we don't do that anymore. Towns that have good pizza tend to have good postgame pizza, too.”
The basic goal is to replace some of the calories lost during the two-and-a-half hour match as quickly as possible.
When islanders board a charter flight, they are often treated to a hearty meal.
But the easiest option right after the game is to order something ready to eat right to the arena before boarding the bus for the team's charter flight.
This usually means pizza. (For games in New Jersey or Madison Square Garden, there are no flights, so it's more practical for Islanders to have their postgame meal at the arena.)
“It's been that way ever since I've been in the league,” Kyle Palmieri told the Post. “I think it's been going on for 15 or 20 years. For us, I think we burn so many calories during a game. It's something we can actually get into our bodies and it's easy and consistent. I think it's a sexual thing.”
Early in Palmieri's career, during his father's trip with the team, his father noticed a box of pizza after a game.
“He was a little surprised,” Palmieri said. “But when you think about how many calories you burn, it doesn't really matter what you eat. You have to get something into your body.”
So, as important as eating right is to every player in the NHL, there are always some exceptions to every rule. And sometimes, any calorie is a good calorie.
“When I was a kid, I always thought that professional athletes and others only put good things into their bodies,” Barzal says. “Then everyone's hitting him with three pizzas, and I don't get it.” [why]. I think that's tradition. ”
