This has been quite a year for P.K. Subban. If you want to be technical, I’m sure little things like signing a $72 million contract and getting an A on his jersey count as “great” moments for him personally, but as a fan, here are the moments that were the most enjoyable to watch. The list is a little gif heavy, please give it a minute to load.
10. Dressing up as zombie Michael Jackson for Halloween
For the Habs’ Halloween party this year, P.K. hired makeup artist Liza-Marie Charron to transform him into Michael Jackson from Thriller. Considering that everyone else just half-heartedly put on a costume, no.76 is by far the most committed to dressing up.
9. Wearing a salmon pink suit to the NHL awards
[NHL]
Speaking of which, that time P.K. attended the NHL awards in the best suit ever. Watch the entire video, because even Mike Babcock looks a bit stunned. Nevermind, plenty of time to go shopping together when you’re coaching here, Mike, right? Right? Stop laughing.
8. That time he scored right out of the penalty box in a game against Colorado.
[NHL]
October 18, Colorado Avalanche at Montreal Canadiens. Other than his incredible speed, P.K. also shows off his great patience and positioning. Not many d-men in the league can time their shot so well. Watch how he waits for the perfect moment to release, when other players could have lost their nerve and given up the puck.
Check the video for a better view, but keep an eye on Tyson Barrie (4) whom P.K. beat to the puck. Barrie chases after Subban, loses control on his turn, and hits the goalpost. He then falls down like one of the Three Stooges on a banana peel. Good stuff.
7. Dressing up as a security guard for Christmas
[Vimeo]
A busload of children throught they got their Christmas surprise when they were presented with new no.76 jerseys and hockey equipment, but then P.K. revealed himself to be the security guard who had been accompanying them the entire time. Still think it would have been cooler if he hopped on the ice without saying anything, and then deked everyone to score like five goals before revealing who he is.
6. Hitting a fan with a puck, and then apologizing for it.
“I’m going to sign this puck for you, and then you can say ‘for my first game, P.K. hit me with a slapshot, and I survived’. So that’s a pretty – pretty big deal.”
In a game versus the Ottawa Senators, one of 76’s pucks flew into the crowd, where it bounced off a man’s arm and hit his son. To apologise, P.K. called them in person, invited the family back for another game, and then signed the same puck that clipped the young fan’s ear. We’re all tired of hockey cliches by now, but seriously, that’s a classy thing to do.
5. Unleashing the slapshot that won Game 1 in double overtime
Like how Angelina Jolie in Wanted can bend bullets to curve around obstacles, P.K. can bend pucks around hockey players. I’ve seen this goal from twenty different angles and I still can’t figure out how he saw the path through the crowd in front of Rask.
4. Laying a kiss on Pierre McGuire
[NHL]
Adorable? Yes. Although Pierre McGuire giggling like a schoolgirl is something I wish to never see again.
3. Making every hockey journalist at Sochi look superfluous with this on-the-ground coverage of the gold medal ceremony
This video was everything Canada ever wanted from its men’s hockey team.
(Also, Carey Price’s sassy “Whaaaat?!” should be played on the jumbotron every time he makes another impossible save).
2. Admitting that he intentionally farts to annoy the other goalie
[Youtube]
Watch P.K. Subban go on a French talk show and surprise everyone with his admission that he drinks coffee to prepare for gassy attacks on the other side’s net. It comes from mixing coffee with his low-carb, high protein diet, if you really want to know.
1. This quote.
(before Game 7 of the Boston series)
I think this stands for itself.
Congratulations to P.K. for a great 2014, and here’s to an even better 2015.
