The Montreal Canadiens lost forward Patrik Laine during Saturday night's game against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs after a knee-on-knee collision with forward Cedric Pare, which many interpreted as a dirty hit. Laine couldn't put weight on his left leg and had to be assisted off the ice.
This marks another setback for Laine, who has faced injury troubles over the past several seasons, along with a stint in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program. However, the latest updates from the Canadiens regarding Laine's injury are promising, as it is not expected to be season-ending, as many initially feared.
Additionally, Laine mentioned that he holds no resentment toward Pare for the hit and even shared that he received a text message from him after the incident, according to Sportsnet.
“I don't think anybody's trying to hurt anybody,” he said. “Hockey's a fast game and kind of put myself in that situation a little bit trying to make a stop. It's just an unfortunate collision and he texted me afterwards, which I give him respect for that.”
Laine, who was on hand for his team's practice session in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, explained that he “dodged a bullet” with the injury and is thankful that it wasn't worse.
“It's fun to be around, obviously much rather be on the ice,” Laine said. “Kind of dodged a bullet with the knee; it could've been much worse. I mean, I'm not still happy with the injury, but it is what is and just trying to stay positive. We'll be back.”
“Got some good opinions, but at the end of the day, it was my call to make, whatever we wanted to do,” he said. “The team and everyone else gave me all the help with that, and at the end of the day, just decided not to do surgery and just do rehab and let it heal.”
Laine will have to watch his teammates take on the Ottawa Senators in the final exhibition game before the start of the regular season schedule against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 9.
Patrik Laine is entering his first season with the Canadiens
Laine, who was acquired via trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, finally got the change of scenery that he had requested from Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell.
And while he was expected to play a major role in Montreal's offensive attack this season, the good news is that he could potentially be back in the lineup before the calendar turns to 2025.
The former No. 2 overall selection of the Winnipeg Jets in 2016 has scored 204 goals with 184 assists in 480 career NHL games.