The Canadiens’ Patrik Laine says he “dodged a bullet” with the knee injury he suffered during the first period of last Saturday’s 2-1 pre-season loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
The knee-on-knee collision Laine had with the Maple Leafs’ Cédric Paré while entering the offensive zone on a power play looked like it might have resulted in a season-ending injury. Instead, it was only a sprained left knee and Laine is expected to be sidelined for 2-3 months.
Laine, who is still on crutches, made the trip to Mont-Tremblant with his teammates on Wednesday as training camp continues and spoke with reporters there on Thursday morning for the first time since his injury. Laine said it was his decision — after seeing a “couple of doctors” and getting “some good opinions” — not to have surgery on the knee.
“But the team and everybody else gave me all the help with that and, at the end of the day, just decided not to do surgery and just do rehab and let it heal,” Laine told reporters in Mont-Tremblant. “It’s my knee after all. It was just one of those it could go either way.
“I don’t think there’s ever any guarantees whether you do surgery or not,” Laine added. “I’m sure me and the medical staff and everybody else will do everything we can to make sure it will be great once I come back. They did a good job kind of explaining the whole process and situation we’re in and reassuring that the chances are very high and all that stuff. So that made me feel a little bit better about it. Now just got to put in the work, but we got a great medical staff so I’m not worried about it.”
Laine didn’t place the blame on Paré for the hit that injured him.
“I don’t think anybody’s trying to hurt anybody,” Laine said. “Hockey’s a fast game and I just kind of put myself in that situation a little bit. He’s trying to make a stop. Just unfortunate collision. He texted me afterwards — give him respect for that. But just an unfortunate play.”
Laine hasn’t played a regular-season game in the NHL since last Dec. 14 when he suffered a broken left clavicle that required surgery. Laine then entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in January while dealing with mental-health issues. He was playing in only his second pre-season game with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets during the off-season when he suffered the knee injury.
“It was pretty miserable the first couple of days when I got the calls and the diagnosis and the MRIs and stuff,” he told reporters in Mont-Tremblant. “That was pretty emotional. Fought back so hard to get back on the ice and being excited again and second game and second shift to get hurt again. But it’s just the way it is. In this sport you get hurt sometimes and just try to stay positive. But at least now I’ll have the second half of the season when I come back, so that will be good.”
Laine said it was also good to make the trip to Mont-Tremblant with his new teammates.
“It’s fun to be around,” he said. “Obviously, much rather be on the ice. But kind of dodged a bullet with the knee. Could have been much worse. I’m not still happy with the injury, but it is what it is and just try to stay positive. But we’ll be back.”