Opinion: Extorting Henrik Lundqvist For a Puppy Is Bad

NHL players have been winning lots of kids puppies lately. First Bobby Ryan scored a goal that got two young fans a puppy. Then the next day Cam Atkinson scored a hat trick that earned another kid a puppy. Now we’ve got this kid who just needs an autographed piece of memorabilia from one of the Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist, one of the winningest goaltenders in NHL history.

There is absolutely no reason for Lundqvist to give up something like that so a strange kid – a kid who can afford to sit along the glass late in the season for a game between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference – can get a puppy. This kid can afford a puppy. Nobody – not the kid or his parents – needs a damn signed stick.

Scoring goals and hitting home runs in exchange for pets is dumb enough? “If [plausible thing happens], we’ll get a dog!” How about you just get a damn dog? And asking for something with monetary is bordering on extortion. Is Lundqvist supposed to feel an obligation to hand over his stick because otherwise he’s denying a fan happiness? This is stupid and greedy. Stop asking athletes to do things in exchange for dogs.

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