Laine having fun on and off the ice again

This was performance art at its finest, which is an area Patrik Laine has ample expertise in.

As the former Winnipeg Jets sniper rolled into town as a member of the Montreal Canadiens on the weekend, it was as though he had taken a plunge into the hot tub time machine.

With a gathering of media members from both Montreal and Winnipeg huddled around him in a circle on the second floor of the Canadiens’ downtown hotel, Laine looked and sounded like the player who took this city and province by storm as a teenager and into his early 20s.

During a question-and-answer period that lasted nearly 10 minutes, Laine tackled a variety of topics the way he had so many times before.

The ability to weave smoothly between exuding extreme confidence, while mixing in self deprecation and showing self awareness is often a tough road to navigate.

But Laine did so with aplomb.

The one-liners were flowing and that’s often part of the back-and-forth when it comes to conversations with Laine.

Whether on or off the ice, Laine was always comfortable under the spotlight and seemed to relish the responsibility when it came to the role of entertainer.

While some Jets fans might have had their back up with Laine making a tongue-in-cheek comment about goalie Connor Hellebuyck having the “Paddy flu” the past three times Laine has been an opponent, the quip was obviously said in jest.

There wasn’t an ounce of malice in the statement, nor was he actually calling out a former teammate for being scared to go up against him.

This was pure, good-natured fun, with one of the best shooters in the game setting the stage to go up against the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.

That’s something the NHL could use a little bit more of, especially during the dog days of the marathon season.

Much like he did when he was a member of the Jets, Laine also took a fun-loving swipe at his close friend and former linemate Nikolaj Ehlers.

Not only did Laine joke that he brought a signed jersey with him to Winnipeg to help cheer Ehlers up as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, he said he hoped the Danish forward wouldn’t be scared when he got back on the ice for the rematch in Montreal next month.

Again, anyone involved in the conversation knew full well that Laine was basically in character, providing a quote that brought a little bit of colour to the proceedings for Game 32 and beyond.

The maturity in how Laine is carrying himself these days is even more impressive when you consider the tough patch he endured while spending a significant amount of time getting the help he needed in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Although Laine has kept the details of his personal battle to himself, it’s moments like Saturday that show the Finnish winger finds himself in a much better place these days.

To hear him discuss what it’s like to have fun being on the ice and putting on the uniform is encouraging to hear.

Because in those early years of his career, Laine’s love for the sport — and for finding the back of the net — was on display for the world to witness.

You could see it when he fired home a one-timer on the power play, when the youthful exuberance of his celebrations could light up an entire arena.

And you could see it when he offered a juicy quote with a wry smile or came through with one of his classic quotes when he was in the midst of a rare slump, declaring for all to hear that “hockey is hard.”

That someone with such a remarkable ability to score goals so openly wore his heart on his sleeve and showed his emotions in both good times and bad was part of his allure.

The second overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft was a fan favourite around these parts for good reason during his four-plus seasons in the organization.

Quite simply, he captivated audiences with his otherworldly shot — and still does.

“It’s elite,” Canadiens head coach Marty St. Louis said on Saturday. “It comes off his stick pretty fast, hard and accurate. He’s given goalies trouble since he’s been in the league. So, it’s fun to watch.”

That things eventually went sideways and Laine was moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets in January 2021 is a sore spot for a segment of the Jets fan base, but the appreciation for what he did while he was here and what he’s been through was on display on Saturday night.

When Laine was shown on the scoreboard during the anthem, a loud roar was heard inside Canada Life Centre.

There were other examples of ooh-ing and ahh-ing when each of his scoring chances were thwarted by Hellebuyck

Earlier in the day, Laine talked about feeling the support from Jets’ fans and being back in a place where he created a lot of great memories.

He also talked about what it’s been like to be back playing in a hockey-mad market, where the passion is flowing at full speed, even in the midst of a rebuild.

“We’re a really young team and even I’m feeling old these days,” said Laine, who only turns 27 in April. “Obviously playing in Montreal is something special. It kind of fires you up overall, playing in Canada. I did miss that when I was playing in the States.”

Laine has created an online initiative with his fiancée, Jordan Leigh, called From Us To You with the goal of helping make people feel more comfortable talking about overcoming adversity and speaking out about mental health.

And while it’s great to see Laine once again bringing people out of their seats when the puck is on his stick, perhaps his most important contribution might be what he’s doing off the ice.

“I love helping people. It’s important,” said Laine. “If you can help people, why not? All of that has been great, too.”

What was clear about Saturday was that Laine is still shaking off the rust that comes along with not touching a hockey stick or being on the ice for seven or eight months and then having to battle back from the knee injury he sustained in the second pre-season game.

“My game is not quite there yet, but after almost a year-long break, I’m not expecting it to be,” said Laine, who has three goals and four points in six games. “But we’re working on it and we’re trending in the right direction.”

Speaking of trending in the right direction, the NHL finds itself in a better place when Laine is on the ice providing highlight-reel moments and sharing his personality off of it.

While hockey may still be hard at times, it can also be part of the healing process.