An interesting rumor involving Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine has indeed just been confirmed. It has been confirmed by none other than the player himself, as Martin St-Louis' squad is currently in Columbus.
First, let's recall that before being acquired by Kent Hughes a few months ago, a rumor was circulating that Laine had outright requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets. (which explains the disappointing return for Don Waddell)
Well, that rumor has just been confirmed by Laine himself.
Patrik Laine requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets because he was tired of losing
See an excerpt from Raphaël Simard's article (DLC) on the subject.
"As you can read in Aaron Portzline's excellent article on The Athletic, the Habs winger wants to win, and he felt that in Columbus, not all players and management shared the same mentality as he did."
We also learn that Laine never included the Montreal Canadiens in his list of 10 teams he did not want to be traded to.
So, he is very serious when he says he loves playing in Montreal.
According to journalist Portzline, even before the trade, Laine mentioned that the Canadiens had a promising future with a winning culture, which set MTL apart from CBJ:
"I feel like we were doing the same thing year after year.I was tired of losing and just giving up when it's December to start focusing on next year.
I don't want to do that.
As a player, it's frustrating to try to win while some people aren't on the same page."
Patrik Laine
We can absolutely understand him, and it says a lot about his true desire to win!
You need more players like Laine in the locker room!
One thing is certain: it's likely to be a special game for the Finnish player tonight, as he still has many friends within the Blue Jackets organization.
