Patrik Laine: Online Q&A

[Laine 1,361]

Introduction

 

Hey guys, Patrik Laine here. Thank you all so much for the questions you sent in to me last week. I may not get to answer all of them but I will certainly be doing this again. I made the Q&A completely anonymous, so lets begin!

 

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Do Pineapples belong on Pizza?

 

I personally don't have Pineapples on my Pizza, but if you like it then you can have them on it. I don't have a set opinion as it all comes down to personal preference.

 

What does your average day look like during the offseason?

 

I usually wake up at 7:00 AM and go for a shower to start my morning. Once I am out of the shower, I have breakfast and watch the morning news. Around 9:00 AM I will step on the ice and practice my deking until 10. From 10 to 11, I practice shooting and from 11 to 12, I practice defending one of one. I have lunch around 12:30. At 1, I go back on the ice and practice skating until 2. From 2 until 4, I practice checking and using my body to get the puck. I usually have dinner around 5 PM. I studying film from 4-6 and this includes watching film during dinner. Usually the rest of my night is spent relaxing or meeting up with a couple buddies to play scrimmage hockey.

 

If you could be on a team with someone from your draft class who is NOT CURRENTLY on your team, who would it be?

 

I would probably choose to play on a team with Matty Socks (@fishy). I've watched quite a bit of his film with Vegas and he is a big part of their success.

 

How do you think you will fit in as a VHL player?

 

My biggest asset is my shot so I would probably be a goal scorer but I could also play power forward with my huge frame. It is up to the coaches to use me in the best way for the team.

 

Where are you staying this offseason?

 

I'm currently in Finland with my family, but next week I'll be heading to Winnipeg for a few days to practice with their NHL team. After that, I will head back to Finland to be with my family for the VHL and VHLM drafts.

 

What is your game day routine?

 

I always start my mornings off just like I do in the offseason. I arrive at the rink around 9 AM for the morning skate. I go and have lunch at the same restaurant in Houston with Jiggs (@JigglyGumballs) and Minner (@DreMin15). After that we head back to the rink to do some drills in the afternoon. Around 4, we will have the team meal. We go into the hallway about 2 hours before the game to play some soccer and football to warm up. In the 15 minutes leading up to warmups, I always tape my sticks and make sure my gear is ready to go.

 

What is your pre-game ritual?

 

I always tape my sticks the same way no matter what. Other then that, I always tap centre ice before a game and give Minner a tap on the pads.

 

What did you think of your season in Houston?

 

Given the circumstances and the position of the team when I signed, it was good. I averaged over a point per game and led the team in goals and if I can stay in Houston we can be a serious threat next season.

 

Do you hope you stay in Houston?

 

I mean, I have nothing bad to say about Houston. It's been good so far but the VHLM is still a business and I can be traded or picked up by any team so those are my kind of comments.

 

Who do you think was the X-Factor of that Houston run at the end of the season?

 

Definitely Minner. He kept us in all of our games and he stole some games we should have lost.

 

What is your favourite thing to do for fun?

 

Pickup hockey is always fun during the summer, especially when the weather gets warmer.

 

Who is your hockey idol?

 

I didn't really have a favourite player, but my favourite team was definitely Helsinki. Growing up in Tampere which is also in Finland it was the logical choice.

 

If you could be drafted by any VHL team, who would you pick?

 

I wouldn't pick a VHL team based on whether I like them or not. Each team now is neutral and I want to go to a team that wants me to be a franchise player for them.

 

Did you pull off any pranks this season?

 

Yeah, actually. I got Jiggs with the classic tape on the skate blade trick. I put hot sauce into Minner's water bottle. The funniest one however, was when I changed the name tag on Jiggly's jersey. I changed the tag to say "Kick Me" instead of "Gumballs" and he had no idea I did it until after the game. They certainly got me back throughout the year but we had fun joking around with each other.

 

Have any GMs talked to you yet?

 

Yes, 2 GMs have talked with me but nothing is set in stone yet. I really won't know where I will end up until draft day.

 

Are you nervous about the draft?

 

Not yet. I am still a bit nervous but I won't feel the nerves until the draft gets closer.

 

Have you been watching the VHL and VHLM Playoffs?

 

Of course. It's always good to see some high intensity playoff hockey even if you are not a part of it.

 

Who was the biggest joker in the Houston locker room?

 

Definitely Jiggs. He put water into my stick one practice and man was I not ready for it. He got Minner, Geesus and Rose pretty good too so it wasn't just me.

 

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Conclusion

 

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who sent in questions even if I wasn't able to answer them. I definitely will do another one of these pretty soon.

 

(1028 words, 5726 characters written by @PatrikLaine)

Spoiler

@VHL GM

 

Edited July 2, 2020 by PatrikLaine

[McWolf 3,115]

3 hours ago, PatrikLaine said:

I personally don't have Pineapples on my Pizza, but if you like it then you can have them on it.

Dropping you at least a full round on my draft board.

Good luck

[Laine 1,361]

30 minutes ago, McWolf said:

Dropping you at least a full round on my draft board.

Good luck

I never said they don't belong on pizza. I said I don't like them on pizza but if you like them it is fine.

[diamond_ace 3,107]

39 minutes ago, McWolf said:

Dropping you at least a full round on my draft board.

Good luck

Yeah he's a half round or so up on mine - finally someone who sidesteps the whole argument and realizes different people can like different foods. 

[Banackock 8,002]

Pineapple good on pizza. 

[Laine 1,361]

51 minutes ago, diamond_ace said:

Yeah he's a half round or so up on mine - finally someone who sidesteps the whole argument and realizes different people can like different foods. 

exactly, it just comes down to personal preference. I don't like Pineapples on mine but if someone likes it on theirs, it doesn't make me think different because they probably enjoy having it on theirs. I'm not the type of guy where it is like "I don't like this so you shouldn't like it either" if that makes sense.

[diamond_ace 3,107]

1 minute ago, PatrikLaine said:

exactly, it just comes down to personal preference. I don't like Pineapples on mine but if someone likes it on theirs, it doesn't make me think different because they probably enjoy having it on theirs. I'm not the type of guy where it is like "I don't like this so you shouldn't like it either" if that makes sense.

I've had it. My mom likes it, and one of the security guys from back when I worked in the ER liked it and would order it for us sometimes. It's not my favorite, but I don't dislike it. Regardless, the concept of strongly forming an opinion on someone based on a food preference is just foreign to me

[Plate 363]

Review

First of all, pineapple on pizza is a cardinal sin. It ruins the whole point of having pizza in the first place. There's a lot of great flavour in this article. Because it's a sim league, many of the players come from the same place. They lack personality. It's up to us to give our players identities. Patrick Laine has a fun and relatable story. The cool little prank stories do a great job at establishing relationships between #29 and his team mates. That personal connection is really cool between you and Minner. There's a lack of visuals on the article itself. Having a picture of Laine with his team mates would do a lot to bring life to this post. You could also segment your article into different parts. Segmented the questions into different sections would do a good job at improving the flow of the article. One section could be questions related to your teammates. Another to your personal skill, or one about questions on your career. 

 

Score: 9/10

 

Really enjoyed the life the article provides to your player. Could do with some visuals/formatting adjustments. Overall, a very good article. Pineapple does not belong on pizza. 

[Laine 1,361]

Claiming for a second week (week of November 1st, 2020)

[a_Ferk 764]

I think this idea was pretty innovative, it's sort of like a more detailed and thought out version of a press conference. Could do with some images or visuals to make it look nicer. I like the part where you said that pineapple doesnt belong on pizza. 9/10