Hawks' secret recipe revealed.

It's not always about numbers.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 7 years ago
Hawks' secret recipe revealed.
Keystone Press Agency

The Blackhawks have become a powerhouse in the league since they drafted Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The once struggling franchise is now the reference in players development and quality of the overall management. In a way, the new Hawks are akin to the old Detroit Red Wings dynasty, but don't tell that to any of them. 

You can dissect statistics and strategies all you want, but hockey is immensely more complex than numbers can tell. A fascinating report by Mark Lazerus in the Chicago Sun Times dives into a little talked about topic: players nutrition. 

Back in the days, players were smoking between periods and even drinking alcohol on the bench between shifts, but nowadays things are totally different. Most team take care of their players habits, but Chicago brings it to another level. For one thing, the team forces player to attend cooking classes so they develop the right habits while preparing food. They consult with nutritionists every week and long gone are pizzas, burgers and fries. 

Most interestingly, team captain Jonathan Toews is the ultimate zealot about food. He chats about it with every players and tries to influence them in the right direction. Aging Duncan Keith is also taking full advantage in fueling his body the right way. You can't argue too long about their levels of intensity and energy on the ice. 

All in all, team culture goes along way with rookies joining the lineup. Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Hartman are cited among the most intense regarding proper food intake. It's a safe guess that proper nutrition will be more and more an issue in NHL teams.