Hockey prospects eat healthy almost always as they push for the NHL, and they receive lessons to help with that. The key word is "almost."

Like many teenagers, Connor Bedard can find himself in a tough spot when his mom overshares. He did not seem thrilled about how his mother, Melanie, characterized his diet with Mike Morreale from NHL.com last March.

"He's never had fast food... he will at some point, but he hasn't eaten at McDonald's or anything yet," she said. "I think we all know when we eat well, how you feel, and then when we kind of go off the rails. I think he's just aware of that feeling."

When I spoke to him in late April, Bedard said his mom's comments "got blown out of proportion." A sensitive stomach has led him to be mindful of his food choices, he said. And while he has never bitten into a Big Mac, he has eaten at Subway and chowed down on the famous Pirate Paks from the Western Canadian institution White Spot when he was younger.

Many of the prospects at the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., this weekend are aware of Bedard's habits. But the story was news to Vancouver Canucks forward Aidan McDonough, who made his NHL debut with six games last season.

"Really?" said the 23-year-old, a seventh-round pick in 2019 who signed with the Canucks in March after four years at Northeastern University. "I try to not eat it as much as I can, but sometimes when you're on a long road trip or you're on a bus playing junior hockey, it's the only thing to do. I have tried to cut that out of the diet now. But good for him, if he's never had it." 

For Calgary Flames defense prospect Etienne Morin, it's all about balancing discipline with pleasure.

"It's the little details," said the 18-year-old, who was selected in the second round from the Moncton Wildcats this past June. "You want to enjoy your life. I'm not saying (Bedard's) not enjoying life, but I'll just say that I really like food. It's fun once in awhile to get an unhealthy food. But obviously, the season has started, and now that I'm drafted, I'm looking forward to eating healthier."

At summer development camps, many teams include off-ice cooking lessons and advice on how prospects can eat more healthfully. 

"I asked myself for it because I'm not the biggest guy," added Morin, who checks in at six-feet and 180 pounds. "I wanted to add some weight."

Goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis was drafted in the seventh round by the Winnipeg Jets in 2022. He honed in on his eating habits for years.

"At development camp, we learned a lot about diets and nutrition and stuff like that," said the 19-year-old native of Bolton, Ont., who's in the mix for a roster spot with Team Canada for the 2024 World Junior Championship. "That's something that you learn growing up. Any team you're a part of always speaks about nutrition and health factors. That's something I learned, now, it's been quite a few years."

As the only players who are on the ice for the full 60 minutes, goalies need to take extra care to maintain their hydration levels. 

"Drinking a lot of water and a lot of electrolytes leading up to the game definitely helps me," said DiVincentiis, the reigning OHL goalie of the year who's heading into his third season with the North Bay Battalion. "I like to drink pickle juice the night before a game. Get some salt in so that you don't cramp up as much."

On Sept. 10, DiVincentiis made 54 saves over 60 minutes in his first game action of the year, as the Battalion edged the Owen Sound Attack 2-1 in a shootout in their pre-season opener.  

"I did cramp up toward the end of the third," he said. "Normally, we have, like, Gatorade salts on the bench, but this time, we had mustard. That was probably the most disgusting thing I've ever had in my life."

Whatever it takes.

Entering his third year in North America, Vancouver Canucks defense prospect Kirill Kudryavtsev says his main diet now is "Pretty usual hockey guy. Pasta, chicken."

A mainstay on the Soo Greyhounds blueline who wore an 'A' last season, the native of Yaroslavl, Russia, still likes to occasionally indulge in the staples from his homeland.

"I wouldn't say that I love to eat just Russian food; it's pretty nice here," he said. "But sometimes we will buy some perogies, and I will make it for my billets."

As for McDonald's?

"Yeah, everybody loves it," he said. "I'm not trying to, like, every day. Maybe once a month. In the summer, you can do more because it's the off-season. In the season, I'm trying not to eat it at all. Maybe sometimes some pizza after a game because it's fast calories."  

When pressed, Kudryavtsev said the Big Mac is his favorite fast food. He quickly added, "But I haven't been there for awhile."

McDonough and Beau Akey, a defense prospect for the Edmonton Oilers, lean toward Chipotle for a cheat meal as "one of the healthier fast foods," as Akey put it.

"The burritos, they are unreal," said the second-rounder from 2023, who's expected back for a third season with the Barrie Colts this fall. "I like Mexican food lately. So it's been good."