Laine suffered a sprained knee in the collision with Pare and is out for two to three months.
Cedric Pare texted Patrik Laine after the two collided in the Maple Leafs' 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Sept. 28.
The collision occurred in the first period while Montreal was on the power play. Laine attempted to enter the Maple Leafs' zone and squeeze between two Toronto defenders before he and Pare banged knees.
The 26-year-old was in considerable pain following the collision and needed to be helped off the ice by his Montreal teammates.
"I don't think anybody's trying to hurt anybody. Hockey's a fast game. I kind of put myself in that situation a little bit. He's (Pare) trying to make a stop, but it's just an unfortunate collision," Laine told reporters in Montreal on Thursday.
"He texted me afterwards, give him respect for that. But it was just an unfortunate play."
Laine suffered a sprained knee on the play and elected not to have surgery, which means he'll likely miss only two to three months. David Reinbacher also suffered a knee injury in the game, however, with the prospect electing for surgery, he'll be out for five to six months.
Pare was very remorseful when asked about the collision after Toronto's 2-1 win over the Canadiens on Saturday night.
"It's a fast game. It wasn't my intention," Pare told reporters following the game. "Just unfortunate. I hope he's fine. It wasn't my intention. I didn't mean to do that."
Arber Xhekaj attempted to drop the gloves with Pare shortly after, which the Maple Leafs' forward understood. However, Pare wasn't interested in fighting after the accidental collision.
Xhekaj was fined $3,385.42 — the maximum allowable under the CBA — by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for his unsportsmanlike actions towards Pare.
