The fact that Patrik Laine does not have surgery on his left knee is primarily due to the judgment of one man: himself.

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During a press conference on Thursday in Mont-Tremblant, the Canadian striker was succinct about his intentions in this regard. After suffering a sprain during Saturday’s preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was left with two options. He could actually have gone under the knife, which would have extended his absence by two to three months.

“It was my decision not to have the operation. “After all, it’s about my knee,” explained the Finn, who also relieved Cédric Paré of any blame for his knee-knee contact: “Nobody tries to hurt others and it’s a fast sport.”

“The entire medical staff and I will do the necessary work so that I can play again. […] We have good specialists, I’m not worried.”

Despite his recent misadventure compounding the problems of the last campaign, Laine maintains his morale as he was limited to 18 confrontations in 2023-2024.

“I would rather be on the ice, but I avoided the worst. I am not happy that I suffered this injury. However, it is true and I try to stay positive. I will come back,” he said.

In a precarious situation

Going back to the story that sparked the reaction of the Quebec sports world last weekend, Laine admitted to certain mistakes.

“I somehow put myself in this position. He tried to abort his race and an unfortunate collision occurred. He sent me a text message afterwards and I respect him for that, but it remains a sad accident,” explained the CH color bearer.

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