By Carter Brooks
Photo by James Carey Lauder
Patrik Laine has had himself one fiery start to the 2019-20 season. On Monday morning he received his due acknowledgement.
Laine, alongside Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, was named one of the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week, for the week spanning October 6-13. This weekly honour recognizes the NHL’s best, in terms of point production, and overall play for the time period of seven consecutive days.
After signing a two-year bridge deal to remain with the Winnipeg Jets following a summer away from the team as a restricted free agent, Laine came out of the gate firing on all cylinders for Winnipeg. After opening the season with a goal and three points in his first three games of the season, Laine’s past week featured two goals and six assists for eight more points in just four games.
He collected a career-high three assists in the Jets’ 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday, before adding four points against the Minnesota Wild in Winnipeg’s home opener Thursday evening. Despite not producing any statistical offence on Saturday, Laine added an assist Sunday evening in the Jets’ lopsided loss to Pittsburgh, bringing his point total to 11 on the season – placing himself just one point behind Connor McDavid for the league lead, and one point ahead of teammate Mark Scheifele.
Laine is the first player in Winnipeg Jets franchise history to have eight assists in the team’s first seven games to begin a season. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward has earned one of the three NHL Stars of the Week five times in his career, three times earning the first star, and twice earning second star. After Winnipeg Jets players were recognized 16 times as NHL Stars of the Week over the past two seasons, Laine is the first Jet to be acknowledged in 2019-20.
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