Patrik Laine injured by dirty knee-on-knee hit: Arber Xhekaj steps up

The Montreal Canadiens have lost a key addition from this offseason. Winger Patrik Laine has gone to the locker room tonight after a knee-on-knee collision that left him unable to put pressure on his leg.

The hit handed out by Cédric Paré has now put Patrik Laine's debut with the Canadiens in serious doubt.

Shortly after the hit, Cedric Pare ended up having to answer for his actions. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj came to the defense of his teammate and challenged Cedric Pare to a fight.

As of now, it has been confirmed that Patrik Laine will not return to the game. The full extent of his injury at this time is unknown. This is a frustrating and disappointing moment for a player that has been through so much.

This summer was huge for Patrik Laine. After spending much of the 2023-24 season in the NHL Player Assistance Program he was finally cleared to return. After being cleared the Columbus Blue Jackets traded Patrik Laine to Montreal to give him a fresh start.

He was hoping to have a big season with the Montreal Canadiens and bring them back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This continues the Canadiens' bad injury luck after trading for players. The Canadiens traded for Kirby Dach at the 2022 NHL Draft. Since arriving in Montreal he has also struggled with injuries.

As more reports come out confirming the severity of Patrik Laine's injury we will pass along the latest details.