Laine lights up Titans in return to Helsinki

[Laine 1,361]

HELSINKI, FINLAND - It has been an up and down last little while in Helsinki. The team traded huge pieces of the team in favour of rebuilding the perennial contender. They also saw the return of a familiar face when the HC Davos Dynamo visited town. Patrik Laine was a household name in Helsinki for 6 season. The 9th overall pick in the S73 VHL Draft recorded 150 goals and 350 points in 360 games with the Titans. He was a respected player and was the face of the franchise across those six seasons.

 

This offseason, he was dealt to Davos in a massive deal that gave Helsinki a 1st, a 2nd and a 4th round pick in S80, as well as a S81 2nd round pick. The deal also included Raihan Heavems, Griff Mackenzie and Declan Wolf. Many viewed it as a steep price for Davos to pay, especially with Laine having a down season in S78, but there was potential for Laine to re-achieve his star status joining a revamped Davos team.

 

"S78 was a tough year for me, but I think that there is a real good opportunity for me in Davos to show that I'm not done yet and I can still be a superstar."

 

Laine returned to Helsinki on July 25th. Midway through the first, there was a video shown on the jumbotron shown of his highlights with the team as they formally welcomed him back. Laine saluted the crowd and the game continued. Shortly after that tribute, Laine would assist on a power play goal by Reylynn Reinhart to tie the game at 1 midway through the first.

 

"I thought that was a really nice tribute that they did. I was tearing up on the bench a little bit to be honest with you. So many great memories but I was still very focused on the game. Glad we could tie it after a rough start."

 

The game dragged on into the second, with Davos holding onto a slight 3-2 lead. Laine hopped off the bench and saw the open ice. Taro Tsujimoto hit Laine with a perfect pass, and it was a flashback moment for a lot of Helsinki Titans fans....

 

"Tsujimoto twists and turns with the puck in his own end as Davos completes the change. LEAD PASS HERE TO LAINE. HE'S IN ALL ALONE TRYING TO BEAT THE DEFENSEMAN.....HE SCORES! PATRIK LAINE IN HIS RETURN TO HELSINKI PUTS DAVOS UP BY TWO! WHAT A SHOT OVER THE GLOVE OF GIBSON TO EXPAND THE DYNAMO LEAD TO 4-2!"

 

Laine pulled off one of his signature wrist shots on the breakaway to score in his return. When asked about it, Laine said he really wasn't aiming for the top corner.

 

"I had speed. I planned to take it tight to the net but as the defenseman started creeping closer, I thought I should just try and hit the net and ended up picking the corner."

 

Laine would connect for his second goal and third point of the game in the third period, this time on a one-timer, as Davos stopped a late comeback to beat the Titans 5-4 on a special night in Helsinki.

 

"Felt good to go back and bid a farewell to the fans, but the most important part is that we got the two points and kept pace with other teams."

 

(557 words)

 

Spoiler

Mentioned: @Ricer13 @GustavMattias

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Laine

[jRuutu 2,483]

9.5/10

 

Cool article! I enjoyed the quotes and commentary, good stuff! The article is put together nicely, which makes the article easy to read. As always, a picture at the top could be cool, but that's about it from me for suggestions.