Patrik Laine’s virtuoso five-goal performance inspired a wide array of reactions, at least once people got beyond the general awe.
Some used this as an opportunity to criticize those who doubted Laine, particularly his ability to score at even-strength. Pondering the historical relevance was only natural, and it ended up being logical considering how often Laine matched or approached the work of Wayne Gretzky. Others wonder if this was a true sign that Laine would take the Maurice Richard torch from Alex Ovechkin.
There was likely one person even happier about Laine scoring five goals than Laine himself during Winnipeg’s 8-4 win against the St. Louis Blues.
No, this isn’t about sheer, naive fandom.
Instead, it’s about Laine making money not just for himself, but for a lucky person in Winnipeg. Canadian supermarket chain Safeway runs a “Score & Win” promotion, and a lucky fan, Christopher Haley, hit a $1 million prize thanks to a Jets player scoring five goals.
The fine print details that the winner is slated to receive $50K every year for 20 years.
“Hopefully I made someone pretty happy,” said Laine, who was aware of what his five-goal night did for one lucky fan.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that the promotion yielded that big win for a lucky shopper/fan/shopper-fan. In October 2017, a fan won $100K when Logan Couture generated a hat trick, becoming the first person to land a big cash prize.
As you can see from this winners list, most people seem to win $25 gift cards, which are nothing to sneeze at, but certainly aren’t life-changing.
All things considered, this Winnipeg resident has little excuse but to become Laine’s biggest fan beyond blood relatives ... and probably a bigger fan that at least some in the Laine clan.
At minimum, some of that winning money should probably go toward a Laine jersey, right?
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.