Hockey Parent Kit

For hockey parents of players 9 to 12

Straight from school to the rink? Here's what to feed them.

Get the Hockey Parent Food Kit: school to rink snacks, early ice breakfasts and a tournament cooler list, plus a puck drop timing card and a drink chart. Printable, and built for the car.

Get the Food Kit

A printable PDF. Keep it on your phone or on the fridge.

The hardest part of hockey night is the hour before it

School ends at 3:30. Ice is at 5:00. Somewhere in between, your player is supposed to eat.

Most nights it's whatever is in the car or the closest drive-through, and you never really know if it was the right call. Too much and they skate heavy. Too little and they're running low before the game is over. Then there's the 6 AM practice where they won't eat a thing, and the tournament Saturday with two games and a hotel room.

You don't need a meal plan. You need to know what to grab, and when.

I coach youth hockey and I'm a hockey dad. Over a few seasons I kept seeing the same pattern: how kids show up to practice and games tracks closely with what happened the day before. What they ate, when they ate it, how they slept.

My own son is the clearest example I know. Sugar hits him hard. His energy spikes, and listening and focus go with it. When he's hungry he gets short-tempered on the ice. One game my son, who almost never takes a penalty, took two silly ones. That night he was sick for a full day. His body was telling us something hours before we knew.

I don't have a polished before-and-after story yet. What I have is a pattern I see every week at the rink, and a lot of rink nights where I didn't know what to feed him. So I had the research on what young players need, and when, pulled together into lists I can actually use in the car. I'm using it with my own son this season, and I'll tell you what I find.

Mark LaurinHockey dad and youth coach

Meet the kit

The Hockey Parent Food Kit

Six short sections, one for each rink-day food moment, and a one page printable for each. Read it once. After that you just grab the card you need.

  • School to rink

    The 20 minute snack list

    What to grab at home, the grocery store or a gas station when there's no time for dinner.

  • Timing

    Puck drop timing card

    What works 3 hours, 1 hour and 20 minutes before ice. Fridge size.

  • Early ice

    Breakfasts for "I'm not hungry"

    Small, soft and drinkable options for 6 AM, plus the after-skate breakfast that does the real work.

  • Drinks

    The hockey drink chart

    Water, milk, sports drink or protein shake, and when each one makes sense. One page.

  • Tournaments

    Tournament cooler list

    Two games in one day, a hotel weekend, and what to buy when you forgot something.

  • Late games

    Late game night plan

    When to eat before a 7 PM puck drop and what to have ready for the drive home.

What changes on rink days

  • You stop guessing in the car. The list tells you what to grab for the time you have left.
  • They start practice fueled, without a heavy stomach from eating too much too late.
  • Early ice gets easier, even when they won't eat a full breakfast.
  • Tournament weekends are packed once, not improvised between games.
  • You can skip the hydration powders and protein shakes the other bags have, and know why.
  • Food that supports steady energy, from real groceries you already buy.

Everything in the kit

  • The Hockey Parent Food Kit guide (PDF)
  • School to rink card with the 20 minute snack list
  • Early ice breakfast card
  • Hockey drink chart
  • Late game night card
  • Bonus: Puck drop timing card, fridge size
  • Bonus: Tournament cooler checklist for two games in one day
  • Allergy swap table and nut-free options throughout

Early edition. The next edition will be reviewed by a registered dietitian. Everyone who buys this one gets that update free, by email.

Get the Food Kit

Research-informed: built from 25 published sources, including pediatric sports nutrition research and hockey association guidance for parents.

Questions hockey parents ask

What ages is it for?

Players 9 to 12. The timing works for younger and older players too, and portions follow your child's appetite rather than a fixed number.

Is this medical or dietitian advice?

No. It's general, research-informed information for healthy, active kids. If your child has a medical condition, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian. This is the early edition: the next one will be reviewed by a registered dietitian, and you'll get it free.

My kid has food allergies. Will it work for us?

Yes. Every list has swaps, there's an allergy swap table, and the snack lists include nut-free options. Allergies are always your call.

Do they need sports drinks or protein shakes?

For most practices and games, water and regular food are enough. The drink chart shows the few times a sports drink may help, like long tournament blocks or a hot rink, and why energy drinks are never a good idea for kids.

How do I get it?

It's a PDF. You get it by email after checkout. Print the cards for the fridge and the hockey bag, or keep them on your phone.

Does it use Canadian or US foods?

Both. Everything is regular grocery store and gas station food you can find on either side of the border.

Next rink night, you'll know what to grab

School to rink snacks, early ice breakfasts, a drink chart and a tournament cooler list, in one printable kit.

Get the Food Kit