Main caption: The Athletic covered the extensive operations involved in feeding Boston Bruins players, prospects and support staff. The effort is led by Executive Chef Peter Haney (left) and Cook Spencer Thompson (right), who prepare meals at Warrior Ice Arena, the Bruins’ practice facility.
For professional athletes, proper nutrition is as important as training and recovery. The Boston Bruins’ chefs, cooks and nutrition experts work year-round to ensure current and prospective players have access to high-quality, performance-focused meals.
The Athletic recently published a behind-the-scenes look at the team responsible for feeding Bruins players, prospects and staff members. The article highlighted the critical role culinarians and nutritionists play in supporting player performance for the NHL team owned by Delaware North Chairman Jeremy Jacobs.
Excerpts from the article, which details the culinary planning and logistical challenges of serving players during NHL development camp, are below.
[Boston Bruins Executive Chef] Peter Haney had an emergency. The Boston Bruins’ team chef had ordered 20 pounds of striped bass and 20 pounds of halibut for delivery at Warrior Ice Arena on June 27.
The fish never arrived. The dinner he was planning to serve was scheduled for the next day.
The following morning, Haney started his workaround at local supermarkets. He could not find enough striped bass. Halibut, at retail prices, would blow his budget.
So, he switched part of his menu to salmon. By his fourth stop of the day, he found a Whole Foods that could accommodate his massive order. Haney hustled to the rink where he and colleague Spencer Thompson started cooking.
Development camps are important events around the NHL. Prospects dash through crash courses of training, drills, skills work and team building. There are usually multiple on-ice sessions per day. Scrimmages bring out competitiveness.
At the Bruins’ training facility, Haney and Thompson have to work around restrictions. Unlike a typical restaurant kitchen, they do not have a walk-in refrigerator to stock ingredients. The produce delivery they expected at 10 a.m. had yet to arrive.
Following the introductory dinner, Haney and Thompson, with guidance from Bruins sports nutritionist Julie Nicoletti, were responsible for preparing breakfast and lunch for four high-activity days. They also had to cook for approximately 40 staff members, ranging from hockey operations officials to performance coaches to team services representatives.
On the first day, breakfast featured scrambled eggs, bacon, turkey bacon, sausages, oatmeal, gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free muffins, berries, pineapples, kiwis and avocados. Haney believes first-day nerves related to fitness testing explained some of the leftovers.
“It’s gourmet. It’s the best I’ve ever eaten,” said Jacob Vandeven, a 2026 Bruins draft pick. “They’ve got every protein you can think of. They’ve got everything to help your body recover. It’s been amazing.”