The Montreal Canadiens surprised many when they went on a late-season charge to punch their ticket to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But when Patrik Laine was asked about how special it would be for the Finnish star to go up against a player like Washington Capitals captain and NHL goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin, he had quite the terse response.
"It doesn't matter. (I) couldn't care less," Laine said
Laine's not a stranger to interesting quotes that could rub people the wrong way. When the player was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Canadiens, Laine made comments about his former team being a bit too comfortable and satisfied with where they were in the NHL (near the bottom of the NHL standings).
Former teammate Zach Werenski took exception to Laine's comments.
"We're nothing but good teammates to him, nothing but good friends to him and for him to bash us like that it's unacceptable," Werenksi said.
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports took to X to state that he doesn't believe Laine's comments were specifically about Ovechkin, who recently passed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL's all-time goal-scoring leader.
"It’s about Patrik’s goal to help his team win against the Capitals. Nothing else matters for him right now. Period," Lavoie said.
Laine joined the Canadiens in a trade with the Blue Jackets on August 19, 2024, in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris and a 2026 second-round draft pick. The player was looking for a change of scenery following a season that saw him spend some time in the NHL and the NHL Player Assistance Program.
Laine had 20 goals and 13 assists in 52 games with the Canadiens this season. His current contract, which pays him an average annual value of $8.7 million, expires at the end of the 2025-26 season.
