Montreal Canadiens fans were excited to see their summer signing, Finnish sniper Patrik Laine, on the ice this season, but their hopes were dashed when he suffered a knee injury during a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on September 28.
There were concerns that he might miss the entire season; however, instead of opting for surgery, he chose a more traditional treatment plan and was estimated to be sidelined for two to three months. On November 6, he returned to skating in Brossard, gradually increasing the intensity of his training with the team’s director of hockey development, Adam Nicholas.
Yesterday, Laine participated in team practice for the first time, donning a no-contact jersey. Despite that limitation, he impressed everyone by skating with his teammates and skillfully maneuvering around defensemen.
Goaltender Samuel Montembeault commented on Laine’s return, saying, “It’s fun to see him on the ice. I thought he was moving well, and he looks good. He still has a great shot, so that’s encouraging… He helped me during warm-up before practice at the morning skate before the Oilers game.”
While Laine’s specific return date remains uncertain and there’s no guarantee it will fall closer to the two-month mark rather than three, he is certainly making progress. Yesterday, he was on the ice half an hour before the team, participating in the first four drills before leaving for the locker room. The Canadiens are scheduled to practice at 10:30 this morning, and it will be interesting to see if Laine continues to take part.
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