Michael Del Zotto discloses former Flyers teammate's "disgusting" diet which caused gout

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Dec 11, 2023 19:13 GMT

Former NHL player Michael Del Zotto recently shared amusing yet shocking details about his former Philadelphia Flyers teammate Jakub Voracek's unconventional diet, which led to a diagnosis of gout. The revelation provides a glimpse into the often hidden side of professional athletes and their unique lifestyles.

According to Del Zotto, Voracek, a right winger for the Arizona Coyotes (then with the Flyers), experienced a mysterious foot injury that baffled him and the team's medical staff.

In a candid and entertaining interview on the "Spittin Chiclets" podcast, Michael Del Zotto said:

"He comes in the training room, and you know how he talks. My foot's f**king broken. You block a shot, he goes, no. Did you roll it? No. I don't know what I did."

Voracek, known for his tough demeanor on the ice, insisted that his foot was broken despite medical tests indicating otherwise. The situation unfolded over a couple of weeks, with Voracek unable to get his foot into his skate.

"A couple days come later, it's f**king broken. It's f**king broken," Michael Del Zotto said. "You got to do something about it. He can't get his foot in his skate, but he's going to get a CT scan, gets an MRI, gets an X-ray.

"It's not broken, Jake. I don't know what to tell you. It's not broken. You seem to think it is. This is the proof. Shows that it's not. Long story short, this goes on for a couple weeks."

The mystery was eventually solved when it was discovered that Voracek was suffering from gout, a condition commonly associated with a diet high in purine-rich foods.

"They find out later he's got gout," Michael Del Zotto said. "This guy was a 27-year-old professional athlete with gout."

Del Zotto detailed Voracek's "disgusting" eating habits, which included consuming Pilsner, red wine and a specific type of meat called Wagyu:

"His diet consisted of Pilsner, red wine, Wagyu specifically. He didn't touch any other type of meat. Wagyu and sushi. The amount of food this guy put down the night before, he put down enough for a table for four for himself, is disgusting. Disgusting how much he ate."

Despite being a 27-year-old professional athlete, Voracek's diet was far from typical for someone in his physical condition.

"But then the next night, he'd go in and be the best player on the ice," DZ said. "As much as the game has changed, he is as old school as they come. He still has old school mentality, and he was a special human and a special player. He was one of my favorite teammates, but the shit he did on a daily basis, you could not believe."

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Michael Del Zotto finding the common ground between Brian and Jakub

The "Spittin Chiclets" podcast hosts expressed their disbelief at Voracek's ability to play through the pain associated with gout, with Michael Del Zotto highlighting Voracek's old-school mentality and exceptional pain tolerance.

Hockey blogger Brian McGonagle said:

"His pain tolerance must have been through the roof, man, because I did have coke years ago, and it was the worst pain. You put a bedsheet on your toe and it hurts. I don't know how freaking guy played hockey, man."

The conversation took a lighthearted turn as the hosts discussed their own experiences with pain, drawing amusing parallels between Voracek's diet and their encounters with discomfort.

Former NHL player Paul Bissonnette asked:

"What were you finally buying? Like, good cannabis? Is that how you got it?"

Analyst and former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney said:

"He was eating good meat for the first time."

Brian McGonagle replied:

"Actually, what it was, after a weekend up in Saratoga. Too much red wine and seafood. That's what dipped me in."

Michael Del Zotto said:

"You and Jakub Voracek, you got something in common."

Jakub Voracek's unconventional eating habits, as revealed by Del Zotto, offer a humorous and intriguing look into his life.