Laine’s low-key landing shows how much has changed since Jets 1.0
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/06/2016 (2830 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
I woke up Tuesday morning remembering the days of Dale Hawerchuk and Bobby Hull. Longing for the gumption of Benny Hatskin and John Ferguson.
In 1981, Winnipeg Jets 1.0 selected Hawerchuk with the first pick of the NHL Draft. When the team brought the 18-year-old to town to sign his first pro contract, Fergie arranged a ceremony at Portage and Main and had Hawerchuk arrive in an armored truck. Hockey fans were invited to participate in the excitement of Hawerchuk’s arrival and to see in-person their new conquering hero.
It was a moment reminiscent of nine years earlier when then-Jets owner Hatskin signed the legendary Hull to play for his fledgling WHA team and presented him with an oversized $1-million cheque. Droves of fans flocked to Winnipeg’s iconic intersection to witness the big event on June 27, 1972.
The Hawerchuk and Hull signings are etched in our city’s sporting history, moments in time when our community came together to celebrate the local shinny team.
Flash forward to June 27, 2016, when the Jets’ newest potential game-changer arrived in Winnipeg. Although Patrik Laine actually landed in Manitoba for the first time Sunday, on Monday he got his first taste of the city and its people playing in Mark Scheifele’s charity golf tournament at Niakwa Country Club.
For those who might have missed it, Laine was chosen second-overall in last Friday’s NHL Draft. He has been billed as a generational player — the type who can help carry a franchise to Stanley Cup victories. The city has been abuzz for weeks in anticipation of his arrival.
Well, he’s here folks — just don’t try to get too close.
Word got out Monday that Laine was playing golf at Niakwa. We here at the Free Press dispatched a photographer and reporter to head over to the golf tourney to get a picture and a few comments from the Finnish Flash 2.0. No dice. Turns out, an army of security guards had been hired to protect Laine from potential interlopers. And not just us scavenging media types.
I was later advised by someone close to the situation that tournament organizers wanted to protect the new kid in town from fans and autograph seekers.
Huh?
Free Press crime reporter Mike McIntyre, who we had sent over to Niakwa to get a few comments from Laine, described the scene as having “more security enforcement than at most murder scenes I’ve been to.”
I was told by a top organizer of the event that the parties involved with handling Laine had decided to restrict access, saying, “he’s just an 18-year-old kid who has been here less than 24 hours.”
It didn’t seem to bother the young Hawerchuk when he first came to town. And if you have seen any interviews with Laine over the last couple of months, I’m thinking a throng of fans and a few media types wouldn’t have troubled him much, either.
I’m not sure what the Jets have planned for Laine the rest of the week, or if they have any plans to show him off to the adoring fans of this city. I do know the team has a developmental camp starting Sunday at the MTS Iceplex. I also know Laine is nursing an injury he picked up during the world championships and will likely not be on the ice during the camp.
I am, however, pretty sure there won’t be a ceremony at Portage and Main. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
I was a huge hockey and Jets fan as a young lad and I will forever remember that day Hull was presented with the big cheque. I also have great memories of the day Fergie gave us all a show.
If you are interested in an up-close and personal interview with Laine from Niakwa, there is one on the Jets website. Not quite the same as Portage and Main, but memories on a video screen are cool too, right?
Updates from the sports desk
I got more than a few calls and emails wondering why there was no Bombers coverage in our Monday sports section.
The team dropped its season-opener to the Montreal Alouettes Friday night and people were wondering why there were no details. An hour-long weather delay in the first half meant the game didn’t end until our deadline had passed, preventing us from being able to provide a full report in Saturday’s print edition. A significant number of our customers wanted to read about the game in Monday’s paper.
A few things here: we did have a full report on our website shortly after the game ended on Friday; the Bombers then took the weekend off, so there was no further news to report on Monday; and we wouldn’t typically report on something Monday that was three-day-old news.
We are facing a similar situation this week, when the Blue and Gold travel to Calgary to take on the Stamps. The game is scheduled to get underway at 9 p.m. in our time zone. Because the game will likely not end until about midnight (even without weather delays), we will not be able to provide a game report in Saturday’s print edition.
Paul Wiecek will be at the game and he will have a full report on our website shortly after. He will also have follow-up coverage in our Sunday paper and on the website.
Again, we wouldn’t typically print Friday game details in our Monday paper.
But Free Press Editor Paul Samyn recently invited our subscribers to consider themselves “members” and let them know that we’re interested in and welcome your participation in our decision-making process.
So, here’s the deal… tell me what you would like us to do. Do you want us to re-publish Wiecek’s game report from Friday night? His follow-up on Saturday that we print in our Sunday edition? Or just news from the team’s practice on Sunday?
Email your thoughts to steve.lyons@freepress.mb.ca or give me a call at 204-697-7285.
•••
Finally, I mentioned Mike McIntyre earlier in this column. Why were we sending “Mike on Crime” out to Niakwa to track down Laine, you ask? No, we did not anticipate yellow police tape; in fact, Mike is going to be spending some time covering sports for us this summer. His first assignment will be to return to Niakwa — and, hopefully get past security — to cover PGA Tour Canada’s Player’s Cup tournament July 7-10. Mike will also spend some time covering the Winnipeg Goldeyes, along with doing justice to whatever else we think ought to be in the section.
Welcome aboard, Mike.
This week also brings to an end Melissa Martin’s tenure in our toy department. Melissa is being redeployed as Reporter-At-Large in the newsroom and we wish her all the best in the new gig.
DoubleEm has been great to have on the team, and we hope to see her make a few guest appearances, going forward. Hurry hard back for the curling season, Melissa!
steve.lyons@freepress.mb.ca