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Many professional athletes are creatures of habit who rely on routines that border on superstition to try to stay in a groove. That includes Alex Ovechkin, who has a well-documented affinity for a certain meal at Subway and relies on a dedicated delivery person to bring it to him at a moment’s notice.
The NHL is filled with players who subscribe to some peculiar customs. Connor McDavid wears the same pair of socks every game in spite of the fact that the toes have dissolved, while Sidney Crosby is still rocking the same jockstrap he wore when he was playing junior hockey in Quebec.
That has worked out pretty well for those two superstars, and when you consider no NHL player has scored more goals than Alex Ovechkin, it’s easy to understand why he’s also stuck with some habits he’s developed over the course of his legendary career.
That includes a diet that’s gotten a fair amount of attention over the years, and we were treated to a new revelation concerning his eating habits courtesy of one of his former teammates.
Alex Ovechkin has a dedicated delivery guy who drops off his favorite Subway meal before he hits the road
There are some NHL players who follow some incredibly strict diets. Nathan McKinnon decided to eliminate gluten and dairy from his even though he doesn’t have an intolerance, while Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun turned to raw liver and hearts as part of the “ancestral” approach he decided to embrace.
It’s safe to say his most famous teammate is less concerned with his macros, as Ovechkin is known for drinking soda during games and treats himself to a hearty meal from the same Italian restaurant when the team is playing at home.
He goes a similar route when the team is heading out on a road trip, as he always grabs a spicy Italian footlong at Subway with double cheese and extra mayo along with a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
There was once a time when Ovi personally picked it up at a Subway at a gas station near Dulles International Airport, but based on what former Capitals winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel had to say during a recent appearance on the Drette Su’l Tape podcast, that is no longer the case.
Aube-Kubel dished on Ovechkin’s “Subway guy,” saying via Russian Machine Never Breaks:
“He has the phone number of the guy who works at Subway. When he leaves the arena, he texts him. He passes by, he doesn’t get out of the car.
The guy comes to the car, he comes to give [him the sandwich]. I’m not even kidding. It’s crazy, because he doesn’t want to go back to Subway and be recognized by everyone.”
He also noted Ovechkin is greeted by a six-pack of Czech beer when he ends up boarding the plane, so he certainly has something to wash it down with.