Tournament weekends are long, fast, and demanding. The truth is, how your player performs doesn’t come down to luck — it comes down to the simple habits you put in place before, during, and between games.
This guide shows you exactly what to do to keep your player strong, sharp, and ready to perform all weekend long.
Step 1: 2–3 Days Before — Fill the Tank
The tournament starts long before you arrive at the rink. Your player’s performance in every game is shaped by the habits built in the days before the tournament and the choices made throughout the weekend.
You can’t eat poorly all week and then suddenly “eat healthy” at the tournament and expect high performance — the body doesn’t work that fast.
Food
Food is fuel. What your player eats in the days before the tournament directly impacts their energy and performance all weekend long.
- Build meals around carbs + protein:
rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, bread + chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, yogurt - Add one extra carb at lunch and dinner
- Don’t skip meals
- Stick to familiar foods — no experimenting this week
Hydration
Hydration is one of the biggest factors in hockey performance. Even mild dehydration hurts focus, increases fatigue, and makes players slow down faster.
- Drink water steadily throughout the day
- Aim for light yellow or clear urine
- Carry a water bottle everywhere
- Add a small amount of electrolytes once a day:
- A basic electrolyte tablet
- Half-water / half-sports drink
- Or a pinch of salt + a squeeze of lemon in a bottle of water
Rest
Rest is just as important as food and hydration.
- Aim for 9–10 hours of sleep each night
- Avoid late nights
- Avoid extra sports or high-energy activities outside of team practice
- Keep evenings calm and low-stress
- Put phones and video games away early — screen time causes mental fatigue, disrupts sleep, and hurts next-day concentration
Step 2: Tournament Morning — Hydrate First, Then Eat
Right When They Wake Up
Have your player drink 16–24 oz of water as soon as they wake up. This kick-starts hydration and gets their body ready for the day.
Breakfast
Keep breakfast light, simple, familiar, and easy to digest.
Hotel-Friendly Choices
- Eggs + toast + fruit
- Oatmeal with fruit and honey
- Greek yogurt + fruit
- Bagel + peanut butter + fruit
Starbucks-Friendly Choices
- Spinach, Feta & Cage-Free Egg White Wrap
- Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Sous Vide Egg Bites
- Oatmeal
- Berry Trio Parfait
Tim Hortons-Friendly Choices
- Spinach & Egg White Omelette Bites
- Greek Yogurt Parfait
- Oatmeal
- Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich (English muffin)
- Egg White Wrap
Foods to Avoid
These are heavy, oily, sugary, or slow to digest, and will drag energy down early:
- Fast-food breakfast sandwiches
- Breakfast burritos
- Bacon, sausage, hash browns
- Sugary cereals (especially hotel options)
- Donuts, muffins, pastries
- Heavy pancakes with syrup
- Sweet “refresher” drinks, sugary juices, or blended drinks
- Anything brand-new or unfamiliar
Step 3: During Each Game — Hydrate on the Bench
Hydration affects focus more than most families realize — even slight dehydration hurts concentration and decision-making. It also increases fatigue, reduces muscle power, raises the risk of cramps and dizziness, and makes injuries more likely. Hockey players feel these effects quickly.
- Make sure they have their own water bottle
- Sip water every shift or every other shift
- Take larger drinks between periods
Step 4: Right After Each Game — Locker Room Recovery
This Step Should Happen Before They Even Undress.
- Have your player drink 8 oz of chocolate milk immediately after the game
- If they can’t have dairy, use Ripple Kids — similar recovery profile
Why Chocolate Milk?
Chocolate milk gives players exactly what they need after a game in one simple, fast-digesting drink. It helps:
- Start refilling the energy they burned
- Start early muscle repair
- Replenish electrolytes lost through sweat
It’s easy to digest, kids tolerate it well, and it won’t sit heavy before their real meal.
Use regular chocolate milk only.
Not high-protein versions, not added protein, not protein shakes.
Extra protein at this time is unnecessary and often counterproductive — it can cause bloating and reduce appetite for their real meal, which they need right after leaving the rink.
Step 5: Between Games — Eat, Rest, Recover
Between-game time is short, and what you do here can make or break the entire weekend.
This is not the time for group meals, waiting around in the parking lot deciding where to go, or taking the whole team out to a restaurant. These situations routinely turn into 1–3 hour delays, long waits for tables, slow service, and players getting their food far too late — which kills the recovery window they need for the next game.
Players need to eat quickly, eat simply, and start resting as soon as possible.
Families that prepare ahead of time — with a plan, a packed meal, or a quick grab-and-go option — always recover better than those stuck in group decision-making or long restaurant lines.
1. Eat Immediately After Leaving the Rink
Speed matters here.
Great options:
- Packed meal in the car
- Meal ready at the hotel
- A quick pickup on the way back — simple and predictable
Avoid:
- Long restaurant waits
- Group meals
- Busy or loud restaurants with slow service
If you do sit down:
- Choose a quiet place
- Order simple food
- Get in and out quickly
2. Make This a Real Meal (Not a Snack)
A smaller, basic version of a normal lunch.
Examples:
- Chicken + rice/pasta + fruit
- Turkey sandwich + fruit
- Simple rice or noodle bowl with lean meat
- Wrap with chicken/turkey + fruit
Stick to familiar foods.
Foods to Avoid (Between-Games Meal)
These foods are greasy, heavy, sugary, or likely to cause stomach issues — all of which drain energy for the next game:
- Fast food or fried food of any kind (including burgers, fries, chicken tenders/nuggets, pizza)
- Sugary snacks or chips
- Limit sauces and condiments
- Limit salads and vegetables
- Anything totally new or unfamiliar
3. Rest is the other half of recovery
Good choices:
- Shower and change
- Short nap
- Lying down with legs up
- Watching a movie or relaxing quietly with teammates
- Stay off phones and video games — they cause mental fatigue and slow the recovery process
Avoid:
- Running around the hotel
- Playing other sports (soccer, football, etc.)
- Swimming — extremely draining between games
Between games, the goal is to fully recharge so they can perform at the same level in the next game as they did in the first.
Step 6: After the Last Game of the Day — Recovery Meal + Sleep
1. Locker Room Routine
- Same as earlier: 8 oz chocolate milk (or Ripple Kids)
2. Full Recovery Dinner
This should be a full recovery meal to replace everything they used during the day and set up strong overnight recovery.
Good Choices:
- Chicken or steak + potatoes or rice + fruit/veggies
- Pasta with lean meat
- Stir fry with rice
- Rice or burrito bowls
- Breakfast-for-dinner (eggs, potatoes, toast, fruit)
Foods to Avoid
These slow recovery, cause stomach discomfort, or don’t replenish what players need:
- Fast food or fried food of any kind
- Heavy, greasy, or high-fat meals
- Large desserts or sugary treats
- Soda and sweet drinks
- Meals loaded with sauces or rich, creamy toppings
- Anything totally new or unfamiliar
This Sets Up:
- Better overnight recovery
- Higher energy the next morning
- Consistent performance across the weekend
After dinner, keep the evening calm and get to bed early so they’re fully recharged for the next morning.
Why All of This Matters
Following this plan helps your player:
- Maintain steady energy
- Stay mentally sharp when other kids fade
- Keep their legs fresher late in games
- Reduce cramps, fatigue, and preventable injuries
- Stay consistent from the first puck drop to the last
Tournament weekends are tough. With this simple, step-by-step performance plan, you can support your player in the ways that truly matter — so they can show up ready for every game.
Additional Resource: Healthy Hotel + Rink-Friendly Snacks
These snacks are optional — most players will do great simply by following the steps above. But having a few on hand can help fill small gaps between meals.
Best Snack Options
- Fruit (bananas, apples, grapes, berries)
- Applesauce pouches
- Low-fat yogurt cups or tubes
- Granola bars (simple ingredients; avoid candy-bar types)
- Pretzels or plain crackers
- Light trail mix (dried fruit + nuts; avoid candy mixes)
- Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts — small portions)
- Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches
- Oatmeal cup (hotel hot water works)
Avoid These Snacks
- Sugary candy
- Chocolate bars
- Chips
- Heavy baked goods (muffins, pastries, donuts)
- High-calorie protein bars and shakes
- Anything new or untested
About the Author
Terry Knealing is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, Sports Performance Nutritionist, and USA Hockey Level 4 Coach with a passion for helping serious hockey players reach the next level.
As the founder of Hockey Performance Nutrition (HPN), Terry has worked with hundreds of athletes — from youth to pro — to create fueling strategies that maximize on-ice performance, speed recovery, and support long-term development.
With decades of coaching experience and a proven track record in elite sports performance, Terry’s programs go beyond generic advice. Every plan is built to fit the unique demands of hockey, the schedule of real hockey families, and the goals of each individual player.