Artemi Panarin has found the cutest way to practice stick handling.

While I'm not a dog and certainly can't speak from experience, this looks like a very tough game of keep away for a puppy to win.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panarin published a video online this week that shows what he calls a "new defenseman" but what appears in reality to be a new puppy, although whether or nor that puppy is Panarin's is unclear.

We assume that it is, and in the video Panarin puts his new puppy to the challenge by playing keep-away with him as only a very talented National Hockey League forward can, with the help of a tennis ball and a hockey stick.

The little guy doesn't get the best of Panarin, but he certainly is getting some good exercise as he runs around for that ball.

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