Laine ‘super excited’ for new opportunity in Montreal

BROSSARD – There were no cases of the Monday blues for Habs fans to start the week.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes announced a major trade on Monday afternoon, bringing Patrik Laine and a second-round pick (2026) to Montreal in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.

Hughes and Laine both addressed to the media via Zoom following the announcement. Here are some highlights from their respective media availabilities:

Please note questions and answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.

Laine on coming to a hockey-crazed market like Montreal:

I don't think there was much to be said in the sense that I needed convincing to come to Montreal. It’s the biggest hockey market there is. I've played in Canada before and I loved every minute of it, so I miss being back there, where hockey is the number one thing. People genuinely care about the team and the players, so I didn't need too much convincing. I really wanted to go to Montreal. I know the city, how much they care about the team and how passionate the fans are.

Laine on his goalscoring ability:

I don't want to come back as a 30-goal scorer. I want to come back as a 40- to 50-[goal scorer]. I've done that previously and it's not by accident, but it's not just all about that. I want to come in and do whatever it takes to contribute to the team and make the team win. Whether it's me scoring 50 or scoring 20, as long as the team wins, that's all I’m about. I just want to win.

Laine on bringing his eight years of NHL experience to a young Canadiens team:

I feel like I'm at the point in my career where I can help guide these young guys, since I've been around for a few years and seen a lot of things. So, hopefully [I can] be helpful in the locker room and obviously bring my expertise on the ice and bring the Cup to Montreal. That’s kind of my goal for now.

Laine on his status physically and mentally:

[My shoulder] feels great. I actually just got cleared to skate and I’ve been skating now. There have been no issues; still absolutely ripping the puck, so no issues there. Overall, my body feels good. Obviously, we’re still about a month until camp, so I’ve got lots of time to make some adjustments. But overall, right now I feel really good. No concerns with the body whatsoever and with the mind, so I feel like I'm in a really, really good place as a whole package.

Hughes on what convinced him that Laine was ready to play in a market like Montreal:

More than anything, Patrik's comments were that the things he felt he needed to work on weren't hockey related and that he is very confident in his ability as a hockey player. One of the other things that he said repeatedly in our conversation, was wanting to win and wanting to be part of something. […] We're looking for people that want to be part of something and part of what we're trying to do. It’s not for me, it's not for Jeff Gorton, it's not for Geoff Molson, it's not for any one player. It's for all of us as an organization, and Patrik left us with the impression that he wanted to be part of that.

Hughes on speaking to Laine and consulting medical files ahead of the transaction:

[Columbus GM] Don Waddell was gracious enough to allow us to speak to Patrik, which Jeff Gorton, Martin St-Louis and I did over the weekend to get a better understanding of his journey to where he is today, the struggles that he's had, and what he has done to put himself in a better place. We came away from that conversation very satisfied. […] Patrik and Don were also gracious enough to let us consult on the medical file and have the conversations that we felt we needed to have to be comfortable moving forward. Everybody involved came away very comfortable. We also spoke to him about Montreal and the pressure that comes with this market. As I said, he didn’t shy away from it all. In fact, I think he is looking for this type of a market to come play in.