Talented teetotaller
Patrik Laine wants to hoist the Stanley Cup, but drinking champagne out of the hallowed trophy is another matter.
The Winnipeg Jets star sniper doesn’t drink alcohol. Never has.
So what happens if he wins the NHL championship and the champagne-filled mug is passed to players for a celebratory drink?
“I’ll probably drink something else. We’ll see,” Laine said Sunday prior to scoring twice in Winnipeg’s 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars.
The 19-year-old’s abstinence from alcohol is a personal choice, part of his plan to excel at hockey.
“I don’t think that’s going to help me to be a better player,” he explained in his usual matter-offact manner.
“I want to do everything I can to be the best player I can. I don’t need to do that. That’s not going to help me so I don’t feel like I have to do that.”
There’s no arguing the talented teetotaller’s pursuit of excellence has been working ever since he left formal schooling at age 16 to focus full-time on hockey.
After being drafted second overall in 2016 by the Jets, the sixfoot-five, 206-pound Finnish phenom made headlines in his first season with his powerful laser shot, culminating in 36 goals and 64 points in 73 games to garner a nod as a finalist for rookie of the year.
Last summer, he worked to become stronger and improve other parts of his game. Now the Jets are humming toward their second playoff appearance since relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011 and Laine is in the running for the Maurice Richard Trophy, given to the league’s top goal scorer. Winnipeg Jets’ Patrik Lain celebrates his second goal during NHL action against the Dallas Stars in Winnipeg on Sunday.
His two-goal output against and stresses his ultimate goal is sibility because he’s so good, Dallas gave him 43, tying helping the Jets get into the playbecause he’s a rising star in this him with boyhood idol Alex offs. league,” he said. “He does it withOvechkin of the Washington CapHis candid responses to quesout complaint.” itals. tions have become as much a While team staff monitor the
Laine’s racked up 68 points in trademark as his one-timer blasts amount of interviews and events 72 games and is riding a leaguefrom the left circle. It hasn’t gone he’s part of so it’s not too disrupthigh 15-game point streak (18 unnoticed by his admiring teamive, no one tries to curb his cangoals, eight assists), which is almates. dour. ready an NHL record for longest “He’s mature,” veteran forward “I think that would be just like point streak by a teenager. He Bryan Little said. “You forget how stupid to say to somebody to turns 20 on April 19. old he is. don’t be yourself. That’s just who
After the game, Laine repeated “When he’s on the ice, he plays I am,” Laine said. that he wants to grab the goalmature and he handles himself “I mean, I don’t need to lie to scoring lead and will try when like a veteran. He doesn’t seem to you (reporters). If you guys ask Winnipeg (43-19-10) hosts Los care about all the outside noise me something, I just want to say Angeles on Tuesday. and all the pressure and stuff. He how it is. I don’t feel like I have
While words like that could just plays.” to make something up or just say come across as cocky, that’s not Little is also impressed with whatever.” the case with Laine. Laine’s ability to live his life under His media availability has been
He always honestly assesses the the spotlight. restricted to the rink and not good and bad parts of his game “He knows he’s got a respon- places such as his home.