Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele is as dedicated as they come.
Much has been made over the hockey nerd’s dedication to his craft in following the game in his free time, but the centre recently opened up to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan about his diet.
Schiefele wants to play until he’s 40, and has looked towards New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his secret to longevity.
“Tom Brady is the best in the world and only seems to be getting better in age,” said Scheifele. “Why wouldn’t I want to learn from him?”
The 25-year-old even went so far as to hire a private chef, and travel with said chef to meet Brady’s former cook in Boston, an experience Scheifele called “amazing.”
The Kitchener, Ont., native’s eating habits weren’t always at a pro level, and Scheifele credits training with Gary Roberts at the age of 20 after his first full NHL season with helping him approach his diet differently.
“Gary taught me what things are best to eat and the importance of timing with meals,” said Scheifele. “Also, whole foods — that was a big thing I learned from him.”
Scheifele has seemingly improved with each passing season, and has been a point-per-game player in the past two years.
A big part of that has been the meticulous way he eats and trains, and has taken to focusing on the neurological side of preparation in recent years as well.
Eight hours of sleep is a must.
“I have a sleep cycle app that I downloaded this summer,” said Scheifele. “I wake up a lot in the middle of the night. A lot of it is due to your body searching for sugar because you ate too close to when you went to bed.
“For me, optimal sleep is eight hours, but I love nine hours and try to get it if I can, but my schedule doesn’t always allow for that. I’m also not a great sleeper on the plane; it’s just not comfortable for me.”
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