Patrik Laine vs. Auston Matthews may be a debate that goes on for years in the NHL and we’re not sure there will ever be a right answer.
Matthews was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Laine was selected next by the Winnipeg Jets. There was much debate at the time of the draft as to who should have gone first, so fans have continued to argue about it to this day.
Both players have come as advertised in the NHL, Laine with an elite-shot that is consistently resulting in an above-average shooting percentage and Matthews a two-way centre with a nose for the net. At this point, with Winnipeg and Toronto being the only Canadian teams in the playoffs, both fan bases seem to have gotten exactly what they need for their franchise.
Still, things could have been very different if the Leafs chose Laine instead of Matthews and it appears that is a timeline that the NHL shop would like to live in.
This bizarro-world version of NHL memorabilia is sure to stir things up among the two rival fan bases who truly seem to have become rivals because of their superstars.
It honestly is so perfect that it’s almost like a troll made it. We originally saw this screenshot get posted on hockey reddit by user ARGD and we thought it was photoshopped. So, we went to check out the pages for ourselves and sure enough there wasn’t just the Laine/Leafs version that they posted, but also a Matthews/Jets version.
They’re only available in women’s, so if you’re hoping to get a hockey fan in your life a unique gift, this surely won’t be available for long. These types of gifts are almost funnier than the official gear.
