I play ice hockey 2-4 times a week depending on games/practice or open hockey. The games usually start between 10 and 11pm. I don't get out of the rink until 12:30 or 1am some nights. After skating and playing hard for an hour and a half I get really hungry (hungry like I haven't eaten all day) on the car ride home. I used to hit the dollar menu at Wendy's and get 2 or 3 things but I wanna steer clear of that now! Can anyone recommend a late night snack to eat that would be low-cal and not sit in my stomach all night?

you should be eating after physical activity. it's when your body needs food the most. don't be starving yourself or doing low cal. i would say a ~400cal "snack" of a 2 - 1 ratio of carbs to protein is what you want.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say something that some people might not agree with: Wendy's is not a bad choice after a round of intense exercise like playing hockey.

A Jr Cheeseburger w/out mayo and with tomato added is 270 calories, 27g carb, and 15g protein.
A Grilled Chicken Wrap is 250 calories, 24g carb, 17g protein.
An Ultimate Chicken Grill is 320 calories, 36g carb, 28g protein.

Given the number of calories you probably burn playing hockey, I don't see any of those options being a huge problem.

On the other hand, I do understand not wanting to hit the fast food places. I know that I have little self control sometimes and that it's often better for me to avoid the temptation of fries and a frosty altogether.

In that case, what about packing a small lunch cooler with something like a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread and a piece of fruit? Or making your own turkey or cheese wrap with veggies in a whole grain tortilla? Then you could munch on it on your way home and not have to stop someplace where you might be tempted by other goodies.

Yea I looked at those numbers before and compared them to what I burn playing. I have one of those watches that calculate the calories and I burn between 1100 and 1400 calories in any given game. To me eating 700 cals worth of wendys right after a game defeats the purpose of burning those 1200 calories. I would just be filling up what I burned ya know? I like the peanut butter sandwich idea. SO I could have that and say an apple, drive home, shower and go to bed?

Well, yeah, I get your point here ... but my point was that you don't have to eat 700 calories of Wendys.

You can eat a grilled chicken sandwich for 320 calories
~or~
You can eat a peanut butter sandwich for 320 calories.

They both have about the same amount of calories, and in fact the Wendy's sandwich has more protein. And either one is a reasonably healthy choice, to be honest. You're about neck and neck on carbs, fats, etc. with either one.

OTOH, I'm certainly not going to say have Wendy's over homemade food - just that it's possible to eat at a fast food place and make reasonable choices.

And even though you don't want to eat back all the calories you burned, you do need to eat back some of them. When you expend energy you need to eat back some of that.

reread what i wrote. after any physical activity you need to eat food. it's NOT as simple as "don't want to waste what i burned". The body doesn't work that way. Eat after you workout, always.

the best thing to do well in atleast playing night games I normally eat 1.5 hours before hand... as far as if you want to keep the hunger down after playing the best thing to do is keep a protein shake filled with protein in your car then, when you are done you can fill it with whatever you desire... atleast that it what I do..

Or simply wait till you get home ha ha!

What level of hockey do you play?