NHL: New York Islanders at Montreal Canadiens – Source: Imagn
Habs forward Patrik Laine made a sensational debut in the Montreal Canadiens’ 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. Laine, playing in his first regular-season game in nearly a year, opened the scoring on the power play at 7:23 of the second period.
While he was positioned at the left faceoff circle, Laine received a pass from Lane Hutson and fired a shot over Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin’s shoulder, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Fans gave Laine a standing ovation as the entire Bell Centre roared in cheers.
BIN OUI, PATRIK LAINE
IT'S P̶A̶R̶T̶Y̶ PATTY TIME#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/icK85A2tFB
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 4, 2024
His Habs teammate Cole Caufield took to Instagram to share his excitement. Caufield shared the Montreal Canadiens’ post celebrating Laine’s debut and wrote:
“Jet pack joy ride ✈️💣💥@patriklaine”
via Instagram/@caufield
Laine was active all over the ice as he recorded two shots on goal, two hits and a blocked shot in over 17 minutes of ice time. Nick Suzuki sealed the game 2:39 into overtime, capitalizing on his rebound to give the Canadiens their second win in three games.
Patrik Laine humbled by standing ovation at Bell Centre
After the game, Patrik Laine expressed how deeply moved he was by the fans’ reception in Montreal. Laine also shared how grateful and humbled he felt by the warm welcome he received from the crowd and the community.
“(The crowd cheering) was the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life. It’ll be something I’ll for sure remember forever. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said in the post-game interview.
“Getting that welcome, even early on when I came here… it’s pretty humbling,” Laine added. “Like I said on the ice, I’m just grateful and thankful to be here.”
Patrik Laine on the crowd reaction he received in his official debut: “That’s was the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life…” pic.twitter.com/y2s873OYn6
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) December 4, 2024
He admitted to feeling nervous about his debut. But after speaking with his therapist, the forward felt confident.
“I talked with my therapist about this when I was a little nervous yesterday,” Laine said. “I decided putting this jersey on today is an achievement after everything and everything that comes after that is a plus.”
Patrik Laine returned to action after 355 days, marking his first regular-season game since Dec. 14. He had suffered a broken clavicle during that time and later entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on January 28 to address mental health concerns. Laine was cleared to play on July 26 and was traded to Montreal three weeks later.
He is currently in the final year of his four-year, $34.8 million contract and will aim to build on his strong debut when the Canadiens face the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
