Patrik Laine is a guy who gets a lot of attention on the ice for his goal-scoring ability. Last year was no exception: even in just 52 games and while extremely rusty, he scored 20. In terms of goals-per-game average, only Cole Caufield was ahead of him in Montreal. But off the ice, Laine also attracts attention for another thing: his style of dress.

Where am I going with all this? In fact, it should also be remembered that in the next collective agreement, dress code rules will be greatly relaxed in the NHL… and as a result, as of 2026-27, guys won’t have to wear a suit to games.
And that, according to Alexandre Carrier, will be a game-changer for Patrik Laine: the Québécois even went so far as to predict (jokingly) a 50-goal campaign for the Finn in 2026-27.
[content-ads]It should be remembered that by that time, Laine’s current contract will be up, as he will be a free agent on July 1. So, according to Carrier, the team that signs Laine will be getting a 50-goal scorer,perhaps as a subtle way of getting his GM to offer Laine a contract extension, hehe. On a more serious note, it’s interesting to hear Carrier on this subject, who notes that he still expects many players to keep the good old suit and show up at the arena. After all, the guys are used to it…but clearly, we can expect to see some of the more flamboyant guys (including Laine) taking advantage of these new rules. Overtime‘]- 30 years since the departure of the Nordiques.