With a new season means arenas are coming out with new menu items and treats to keep fans spending money at concession stands. We have to give credit to the teams that thought outside of the box and added the type of things that we’d be craving while sitting in our seats as players battle it out on the ice. Here are three of the top new food items coming to arenas this NHL season.
Garlic Knots In A Souvenir Goalie Mask
Garlic, bread, and butter are a better trio than Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. The Pittsburgh Penguins divisional rival the New Jersey Devils are introducing a new menu item for concession stands this season: a goalie helmet filled with garlic knots. Nothing hits like watching Jack Hughes snipe pucks while stuffing your face with some Italian comfort food. Plus, the decently sized goalie helmet makes for a great game night souvenir. The garlic knots will also do their part in keeping those pesky vampires Newark, New Jersey is known for away from Prudential Center.
Two Foot Long Chicken Parm Sub
Arena food is notorious for skimping on portion sizes. The Buffalo Sabres heard that and said “nope, not today” when they decided to come out with this two foot chicken parm sub. Yes, that’s a whole 24 inches of sweet melty mozzarella and tomato sauce drenched chicken cutlet goodness. Decent sized sandwiches are the least the Sabres can do for their faithful fans who are still enduring a 14 year (and counting) playoff drought. With that the city known for chicken wings decided to supersize their sandwich offerings.
The sandwich is officially called the “The Big Parm Thompson” and is inspired by Tage Thompson’s favorite pregame meal. Good choice, Tage, there’s never a bad time for chicken parm. Thompson also inspired the “The Tage Hero” sandwich available as well. Maybe the Buffalo Sabres were motivated by the Providence Bruins coming out with their own chicken parm alternate identity. When ESPN broadcasts the Sabres October 24th home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs we think we know where John Buccigross is getting his pregame meal.
Honoring Hockey Legends In Sandwich Form
The Sabres drew us in with “The Big Parm Thompson”, but they got us intrigues with “The French Connection sandwich”. The namesake is obvious, one of the best lines in NHL history of Rick Martin-Gilbert Parreault-Rene Robert that lead the Sabres to the 1975 Stanley Cup finals. That inspired this three lawyered sandwich with French toast, ham, cheese and mustard sauce. If you’ve ever had a Monte Cristo sandwich this sounds like their hockey themed brethren. Honestly they had us at French toast (who doesn’t like French toast?) Even the Canadians who like making the short drive over the border to watch the Sabres play will love to try it. The real French Connection might never have won a cup in Buffalo, but having a sandwich named after you is a nice consolation prize. Well, at least we don’t think Jack Eichel will be getting that honor at Key Bank Arena anytime soon.