The high-flying Columbus Blue Jackets are gearing up to face the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, and it appears forward Artemi Panarin is looking to keep a low profile.
When you’re at Tim’s or Starbucks and the cashier asks for a name, it’s common you’ve likely provided a fake name just for the sake of it. Earlier today, Panarin was spotted at a Calgary coffee shop and chose to give a completely different name than his own for his order. Instead of Artemi, the Russian went with “John.”
It’s tough to determine what exactly Panarin was trying to do. Did he just want to stay anonymous? Or does he just think his Russian name is a bit too confusing for Canadians to comprehend? Who knows, maybe he’s just picking up coffee for his head coach John Tortorella each time?
Panarin might find himself in a bit of a predicament if Columbus manages to roll their way through the postseason. The jackets have captured 11 of their past 12 games and the players could have their names engraved onto the Stanley Cup. So, does the forward go with Artemi or John? Guess time will tell.
Panarin has been red-hot lately so it’s tough to argue with anything he’s done lately. If you see a guy holding a cup with the word John on it who looks like Panarin on the streets in Calgary, you might want to ask for an autograph.
(H/T r/Hockey)
