Canadiens’ Patrik Laine out 2 to 3 months with knee injury, won’t need surgery
The Montreal Canadiens have suffered some tough news as the team has announced that Patrik Laine will be sidelined by a left knee injury for up to three months.
The Montreal Canadiens have been dealt a setback as the team announced that Patrik Laine will be out for up to three months due to a left knee injury.
On a positive note, the team confirmed on Tuesday that Laine will not require surgery. His recovery time from the sprained knee is expected to be two to three months, which means he could return to the lineup by January.
The Finnish forward was injured during the first period of Montreal's pre-season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday after a knee-on-knee collision with Leafs prospect Cédric Paré. Laine needed help to leave the ice after his knee bent awkwardly in the collision.
Adding to the Canadiens' woes, the injury to Laine came just minutes after defensive prospect David Reinbacher was forced out of the game following an open-ice hit. The team announced that Reinbacher underwent surgery on his left knee and will be sidelined for 5 to 6 months.
Laine was spotted at the arena on Monday, using crutches and wearing an aircast on his knee.
Originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets as the second overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Laine had his best season during his second year with the team, scoring 44 goals and registering 26 assists. He recorded 63 points in 68 games two seasons later, a season that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After one more game with Winnipeg, Laine was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he spent three-and-a-half seasons but faced several injuries. Last January, he entered the NHL’s player assistance program for mental health reasons.
Laine joined Montreal in an off-season trade, with the Canadiens hoping his powerful slapshot would boost their second line as they aimed to make their first playoff appearance in three years.
BACKLASH ON SOCIAL MEDIA
L'attaquant Patrik Laine souffre d'une entorse au genou gauche qui ne nécessitera pas de chirurgie. Sa période de réadaptation prévue est de deux à trois mois.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 1, 2024
Forward Patrik Laine sustained a sprain to his left knee that will not require surgery. His rehabilitation period is… pic.twitter.com/sEPrSPDGHH
The collision on Saturday led to social media threats against Paré, which members of the Canadiens condemned on Monday.
“Nobody should have to go through something like that, just an unfortunate event,” Canadiens star Cole Caufield commented. “People should probably keep some of those thoughts to themselves, nobody’s trying to hurt anybody out there.”
Quebec’s public security minister, François Bonnardel, also spoke out in defense of Paré, who is from Levis, Quebec.
“It is absolutely deplorable to see the treatment Cédric Paré has received on social media in recent days,” Bonnardel wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “This kind of online hate has no place in Quebec.”
