Local cashes in on Laine’s five goals

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This article was published 25/11/2018 (2477 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Do you think Christopher Haley is a Patrik Laine fan?

Haley of Winnipeg has won $1 million in the Sobeys Safeway Score & Win contest thanks to Laine’s five goals on Saturday night.

That’s the scratch paid to a lucky shopper if a Winnipeg Jet scores five goals in a game. Laine accomplished the feat in a game versus the St. Louis Blues.

No word on what Haley was thinking after Laine potted a goal in the first period, followed by three more in the second. Dare to dream?

Laine pushed Haley’s nervous hopes into hockey heaven at the 1:16-minute mark of the third period with the million-dollar shot.

If Haley abides by the Barenaked Ladies lyrics to If I Had A Million Dollars, the money will help buy a lot of Kraft Dinners.

Haley could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

Air Miles cardholders who swipe their cards at a local Sobeys or Canada Safeway location are randomly selected before each game for the Score & Win promotion.

Score & Win runs in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

The grand prize has never been awarded, although Safeway did give away $1 million in a Touchdown to Win promotion 15 years ago in Edmonton during a CFL game.

Don’t expect the price of groceries in Sobeys Safeway stores to jump overnight. The grocer has an annuity on which it pays a regular premium.

It acts as an insurance policy so the company doesn’t have to shell out $1 million in one lump sum.

Sobeys Safeway tweeted Sunday that Haley of Winnipeg had earned $1 million plus $100,000 for a fourth goal, and $1,000 in gift cards for the third goal.

It said it had been in contact with Haley about the win Saturday night.

No one has scored five goals in an NHL game since Johan Franzen of the Detroit Red Wings in 2011 but that wouldn’t count in Score & Win because he wasn’t on one of the four Canadian teams.

The previous five-goal game was by Marian Gaborik of the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 20, 2007.

Laine told reporters later he was aware of the contest while he was racking up goals and “hopefully” it made someone happy.

“I felt like every time I touched the puck it kind of went in, somehow. I guess it was just one of those nights,” he said.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca