CALGARY — Hockey players are tough guys, usually loathe to admit vulnerablity.
So it was a little surprising when 18-year-old rookie Patrik Laine admitted to a case of nerves after his NHL pre-season debut against the Edmonton Oilers Friday night.
The sensational Finn, a No. 2 overall draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in the summer, wasn’t happy with his performance (he went pointless with a handful of good scoring opportunities) but was predicting improvement his next time out.
It was all music to Jets head coach Paul Maurice’s ears.
"That’s such a good thing, right, to admit that?