Patrik Laine Suffered Major Knee Sprain Before the NFL Season Even Started

As a much-touted trade acquisition for the Montreal Canadiens, many fans of the team were hoping that Patrik Laine would be able to have a major impact immediately. The Finnish hockey player as been in the NHL since 2016, but he's now sidelined with an injury before he could even play a single real game with the team.

Following the discovery that Patrik will be on the bench to start the 2024-2025 season, many wanted to know exactly what happened to Patrik. Here's what we know about exactly how he wound up injured.

Patrik suffered a right knee sprain during the second game of this year's pre-season after his knee collided with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cédric Paré. Patrik left the game following the injury, and while there was initial concern that the knee would require surgery, Patrik was eventually diagnosed with a more minor sprain that will require two to three months of rehabilitation.

Patrik's exact return date is still very much in question, but the Canadiens are likely hoping that his return will spark some improved offense for the term. Patrik is currently in the third year of a four-year, $34.8 million contract he signed with Columbus. Patrik was traded from Columbus after reports surfaced that he was unhappy with the team, and the trade ultimately landed him in Montreal.

Martin St. Louis, the team's head coach, said that Patrik's injury was especially tragic because he was so excited to get back on the ice.

“The saddest thing about what happened, and what makes it a little bit harder with what happened during the game, we felt like the No. 1 job we had to do is make [Patrik] excited to come to the rink. And he was,” coach Martin St. Louis said. “That’s what’s hard today.

“It stings a little more. I feel like he was excited to come to the rink.”

Patrik has scored 20 or more goals in six of his nine seasons in the league after he was initially drafted to the Winnipeg Jets.

In his last season with Columbus, though, he was limited to just 18 games after breaking his clavicle during a game in December. He then spent six months in the league's player assistance program to address mental health struggles he was having.

In spite of the fact that he didn't play in the team's first game, the crowd at the Canadiens home opener gave him a lengthy standing ovation that has gone viral online. It's clear that, when he does get the chance to suit up for the team, fans will be eager to see what kind of impact he can have on the ice.

Although he's been in the NHL for nearly a decade, Patrik is only 26 years old. If he can heal from this knee injury and stay healthy moving forward, he still has the possibility of a long and prosperous career in hockey ahead of him.