Canucks' Kuzmenko gave up waffles, chocolate to slim down this summer

Andrei Kuzmenko has forgone the sweet life in hopes of improving on his first campaign in North America.

"Last season was so bad for me, my weight," the Vancouver Canucks forward said this week, according to Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "Now, I lose weight. Last summer, I (ate) a lot of waffles."

Kuzmenko wasn't just eating waffles with maple syrup, either.

"No, (it's) worse," he said, layering his hands, one above the other. "Waffles, then Nutella, then strawberries, then bananas."

So the Russian winger cut them out of his diet and some other tempting treats.

"Waffles are not good for me," Kuzmenko added. "I like (them), but (they're) not good for me. This summer, (the) rules for me (were): No chocolate, no Nutella, no ice cream in my freezer. You want ice cream, then go to the market. But I (stayed) home."

Kuzmenko arrived at the Canucks training camp last fall noticeably out of shape after signing a one-year, $950,000 contract with Vancouver as a coveted free agent out of the KHL last July. The team's training staff placed him on an individual workout regimen that often forced him to stay later than his teammates after practices.

The 27-year-old racked up 39 goals and 35 assists while playing all but one regular-season game. However, Kuzmenko posted an inflated shooting percentage of 27.3, which led the NHL among players who suited up for at least 10 contests.

The Canucks inked Kuzmenko to a two-year contract extension at $5.5 million annually in January.