World Series of Poker winner Jonathan Duhamel may be getting his wish. No, not winning the WSOP – that’s so yesterday. No, Duhamel may be getting what every young Quebecois lad dreams of – to step out onto the ice at a Canadiens game at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Duhamel certainly pulled enough moves to make the Canadiens aware he was a ‘sure thing’, if they’d only glance his direction. His hundreds of supporters showed up in a sea of bleu, blanc et rouge jerseys, and just in case the message wasn’t totally clear, Duhamel pledged to donate $100k to the team’s Children’s Foundation – the largest single amount the charity has ever received.
Well, message received. A team spokesman has confirmed that Duhamel will be invited to a home game at the Bell Centre and allowed to take a bow at centre ice. No doubt Duhamel is praying it’s a game against the Maple Leafs, and that Les Habs kick some Torontonian ass.
But before you go thinking that everything’s sunshine and buttercups in Duhamel’s world, there’s that pesky matter of the long arm of the taxmen. Yes, we said men, not man. Duhamel will have to leave 28% of his $8.9m prize (about $2.5m) at the US border. Then the Canadian gub’mint takes its bite. (Someone’s gotta fund that socialized medicine, ya know.) Bottom line? Duhamel’s expected to keep about $4.6m (about half the original sum) for himself. What a travesty… Quick! Someone alert the Tea Party!
