Patrik Laine will make his long-awaited debut with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night as the team hosts the New York Islanders. Laine 26, was traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Canadiens in August. He suffered a knee injury on September 28 in a preseason game between the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
LAINE IS BACK! 🔵⚪️🔴
Patrik Laine will make his regular-season debut for the @CanadiensMTL tonight against the Islanders! pic.twitter.com/HyMShCxj1a
— NHL (@NHL) December 3, 2024
The Canadiens need Laine to give them a much-needed boost. They are on a two-game losing streak and are in last place (8-13-3) in the Atlantic Division.
Patrik Laine’s Former Teams
Finnish-born Laine played for two teams, the Blue Jackets and the Winnipeg Jets, during his eight-year NHL career. His Blue Jackets career ended on December 14, 2023, when he suffered a broken clavicle.
After his recovery over the summer, Laine requested a trade which new Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell honored.
It has not been smooth sailing for Laine. His knee injury prevented him from playing the first 24 games of the season, and he watched the Blue Jackets and the Winnipeg Jets outperform the Canadiens.
Laine Will Soon Face His Former Teams
Patrik Laine barely has time to acclimate to the season and his new team before he faces his former teams in road games. On December 14, the Canadiens face the Jets. Nine days later on December 23, they face the Blue Jackets.
He is expected to get a warm welcome in Columbus. He dealt with injuries from the time he arrived in Columbus via trade from the Jets in 2021. Fans rallied around him in February 2024 when he was the victim of a podcaster’s tasteless remark regarding his mental health. Laine is a staunch advocate of mental health causes and organized “Laine Gives Back” to raise funds for Ohio Health Foundation’s mental health resources.
