Although the Minnesota Wild’s off-season has been relatively quiet, they have added a new, eccentric player to their roster thanks to a trade with the Boston Bruins. During his time in Boston, Jakub Lauko became well-known for his constant chatter on two topics: green grapes and the Lord of the Rings film series.
Lauko has been interviewed numerous times regarding his passion for green grapes. He said that he began bringing his own fruit when he moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and discovered that the fruit he liked to eat in the rinks back home wasn’t available there. Grapes were clean and plentiful, the ideal combination for a pre-game snack; oranges and peaches were too sticky.
He was referred to as “Grapes” in the Bruins locker room since he is now so closely associated with the fruit. To make sure he has enough to eat before the game, he even packs bags of fruit with him.
And whereas other athletes might find it offensive to be associated with something as absurd as grapes, Lauko has demonstrated his lively nature by embracing it. He even dressed up like a bunch of grapes for Halloween last year, in addition to posing with bowls of grapes when he re-signed with Boston.
It is evident from a cursory glance at Lauko’s Twitter profile that he is an avid admirer of The Lord of the Rings. We haven’t seen a hockey player in Minnesota be so forthright about a geeky pastime since Brandon Duhaime displayed his Lego collection during his injury-plagued 2022–2023 season. Lauko even sports several tattoos that are Lord of the Rings-related.
Lauko was fortunate that a skate that he took to the face at the start of the 2023–24 season only almost missed his eye. In a humorous post, he claimed to be the Orc in an image from a Lord of the Rings movie. A few days later, a genuine photo of him didn’t seem much better!
Furthermore, do not assume that he is just a casual admirer of J.R.R. Tolkien. According to the tweet below, he has read more widely than just the first three books. An additional work that adds to the Lord of the Rings narratives and provides further background on Middle-Earth’s mythology and history is The Silmarillion. That is to say, it takes a committed reader to finish this book.
A few more details regarding Lauko are worth knowing for Minnesotans. In addition to his Lord of the Rings ink, he also sports Game of Thrones and a beautiful tribute to a friend who played hockey but passed away from cancer at a young age.
In addition, Lauko is a very strong player who isn’t scared to drop the mitts, in case a fan finds his intellectual pastimes and his love of fruit offensive. He actually faced off against former Wild players Connor Dewar and Brandon Duhaime last season, separated by just four days.
In general, Lauko is giving the Wild the additional individuality they require. Lauko should blend in nicely with the Wild’s rugged, physically dominant style of play come next season, both on and off the ice.
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