New Habs forward Laine sounds thrilled to be back in Canada
After four years in Columbus, Patrik Laine is welcoming the pressure of playing Canada again with open arms. The new Montreal Canadiens winger spoke to the media today following a trade to his third NHL team.
Laine has played in Canada before, starting his NHL career in Winnipeg. And while the Jets are a small-market team, there’s big pressure playing in front of that rabid fan base.
The 26-year-old Finnish sniper drew parallels to his experience with the Jets. He misses the spotlight.
“I’m super excited to go to Montreal,” Laine told reporters. “I kind of lived that in Winnipeg, with how crazy hockey is in Canada, and now obviously going to Montreal, it’ll be even crazier. I think they have a good thing going over there. Great organization, really good head coach. A lot of young talent. I feel like I’m at that point in my career where I can guide these young guys.”
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Laine added that he feels like he plays his best hockey when the pressure is on. Certainly, he enjoyed his most successful run in the NHL when he was in Winnipeg, and the Jets were a Stanley Cup contender. Laine’s career-year came in 2017-18, when he scored 44 goals and 70 points. He has 204 goals and 388 points in his 480-game NHL career.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes must be confident Laine can regain some of his past form, given he’ll count $8.7 million against the salary cap the next two seasons.
Speaking of Laine’s contract, it carries a modified no-trade clause, meaning he had to approve of Montreal as a landing spot.
“It’s the biggest hockey market there is. I’ve played in Canada before. I loved every minute of it. I miss being back there where hockey’s the No. 1 thing, and people really genuinely care about the team and obviously about the players. Didn’t need too much convincing.
“I really wanted to go to Montreal. I know the city and how much they care about the team, how passionate the fans are. For some people, it might not be the easiest place to go, but I’ve always like being in the spotlight on the ice.”
Patrik Laine s'adresse aux médias suite à son acquisition par Montréal
Patrik Laine addresses the media following his trade to Montreal#GoHabsGo https://t.co/3NSoN4bNd7
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) August 19, 2024