Since arriving in the National Hockey League as the second overall pick in 2016, Patrik Laine, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, has made headlines over time for both good and bad reasons.

• Read also: Five things you should know about Patrik Laine

• Read also: The Canadian responds to Patrik Laine

Here are the five highlights of the new Habs striker’s career.

A hat trick in his first game against Auston Matthews

While it may seem obvious that Auston Matthews is the best player born in 2016 today, the debate was much more heated a few years ago. There were many comparisons between Laine and Matthews, and many wondered which of the two would be the better forward at the end of their respective careers.

Let’s say the 26-year-old Finn started his NHL journey with a bang, scoring a goal and an assist in his first game on the Bettman circuit. But a few days later, Laine hit it even harder, scoring the first hat trick of his career in his first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Matthews.

The performance of the then 18-year-old player enabled his team to win the game in extra time thanks to an overtime goal.

He finished his rookie season with 36 goals and 28 assists for 64 points in 73 games.

A check that leaves traces

That same year, the 6-foot-5 winger was sidelined for just over two weeks due to a concussion he sustained after a hard hit from defenseman Jake McCabe during a game against the Sabres in Buffalo in January 2017.

Apparently Laine left the game after lying on the ice for several minutes.

An own goal that is making the rounds in the league

A few weeks before this unfortunate incident, Laine had attracted attention with a rather unusual action. During a game against the Oilers in Edmonton on December 11, 2016, the Tampere native scored the winning goal. The problem? After a rebound, he sent the puck into his own net.

Back on the bench and although his captain Blake Wheeler tried to calm him down, Laine seemed inconsolable.

A series of 16 goals in 12 games

Laine is known for being a streak player, and he had quite the streak between February 16, 2018, and March 12, 2018. In 12 games, he flashed the red light 16 times and was never ejected. During that stretch, he scored seven goals in three games between March 2 and March 6.

In addition, the 2017-2018 season was the most successful of his career with 44 goals and 36 assists as well as 70 points.

A first exchange

In 2020-2021, Laine played just one game with the Jets before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Pierre-Luc Dubois. His career with the Ohio team was full of ups and downs; after a season with 10 goals in just 45 games in his freshman year, he managed almost a point per game in two seasons.

Laine only managed to score six goals in 18 games last regular season. He also participated in the NHL and Players’ Association assistance program earlier this year before being cleared to return to play on July 26.

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