This is awesome.
Here we see Artemi Panarin, probable Calder winner, turning down an offer from a fan to go grab a beer. Artemi Panarin, who is currently tied for eighth in NHL scoring with his 45 points, does not want to grab a beer with you – because it is beer.
Here I should mention for the heck of it that Panarin is the third-highest Russian scorer in the NHL right now. I bring up the Russian factor because, quote Panarin, “No beer. Only vodka.”
Panarin has been one of the brightest spots this season for the Chicago Blackhawks, and that’s saying a lot. A lot of it is his on-ice play – he is second in team scoring after all, with 10 more points than Jonathan Toews – but these little off-ice moments in his rise to stardom just help add to how great the entire experience of having Artemi Panarin on your team really is.
No word on if he’ll do shots of vodka with you, but you’ll probably be luckier with that than with a beer.