SEATTLE — Getting prepared for game day starts way before any player even touches the ice. A huge part of performing at the highest level is making sure the players are eating the best quality organic foods.
For the Seattle Kraken, their meals come together in the kitchen of 32 Bar and Grill where Executive Chef Brandon Cathey is in charge of player meals on practice and home games.
“They're focused in on their calorie intake,” Cathey said. “Some of these guys are trying to put on weight. Some of these guys are just trying to maintain their weight.”
Cathey’s love for food started when he was young, and he eventually learned to cook in kitchens throughout high school.
“I love food,” Cathey said. “I love the flavors. I grew up in Arizona. So lots of Mexican culture and a lot of those ingredients I really love. So I wanted to learn how to make it.”
The executive chef pulls a lot of inspiration from the Pacific Northwest and the foods that grow locally.
“The Pacific Northwest has everything,” Cathey said. “Arguably some of the best things in the world like oysters and Dungeness crab. Some of these ingredients you can only get here. And it was part of the reason why I moved up here.”
Since 2021, Cathey has been collaborating with the team's dietician to make sure the menus include healthy organic meals to fit the player-specific dietary needs and preferences. Cathey said there’s a focus on using healthy fats, organic foods and making sure there’s no chemicals.
“I like to do open fire cooking,” Cathey said. “So imparting just a little bit of smoke on a piece of protein goes a long way without having to kind of take it apart and reengineer it and turn it into something else. You can make something really delicious just by grilling it over coals.”
The players eat a majority of their meals at the iceplex, and Cathey knows not to mess with their precise routines.
“Whenever they have a game day, they're very locked in, right?” Cathey said. “And they have been doing the same routine for a very long time.”
Cathey said the players like to carb load, and the gameday menu could include grilled chicken or salmon, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, chicken noodle soup or pasta.
“The actual spread for game day is immense,” Cathey said.
Healthy is always the top priority. But Cathey gets to flex his creative muscles with the guys who fancy themselves foodies as well.
“They travel from city to city and eat at the best hotels and get the best food,” Cathey said. “So I want to make sure that I'm matching that and going above and beyond. I think the whole team is really focused on making sure that players have what they need and what they want to.”