Canadiens Include Injured Patrik Laine in Team Activity.
The Montreal Canadiens will be without offseason acquisition Patrik Laine when they open the 2024-25 NHL season against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 9. The Canadiens revealed on Tuesday that Laine will miss up to three months with a knee sprain following a knee-on-knee collision with Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare.
A serious injury can be demoralizing for a player, especially when they’re new to a franchise like Laine. The veteran winger was acquired by the Canadiens from the Columbus Blue Jackets in August and only played two preseason games with the club before suffering his injury.
Fortunately, Montreal’s coaching staff is doing whatever it can to ensure that the Finnish forward feels included.
According to TSN’s Kenzie Lalonde, Laine will travel to Tremblant with the Canadiens on a team-building excursion on Wednesday. The team will practice on Thursday and Friday in Mont-Tremblant, a community located about two hours outside of Montreal, before traveling to play the Ottawa Senators this weekend.
Laine could have easily stayed in Montreal, so the Canadiens’ decision to bring him along says a lot about the team. It’s also the most recent instance of the coaching staff assisting Laine in feeling supported during this terrible period.
During Monday’s practice, less than 24 hours after suffering his injury, Laine was spotted on the bench with crutches and a knee brace. After the practice was over, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis told reporters that it was the team’s goal to make Laine feel “excited to come to the rink” despite his injury and that he feels the team accomplished that goal.
