Martin St. Louis Blasts Gary Bettman and NHL After Patrick Laine's Severe Injury

Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine appeared to suffer a serious knee injury just minutes into the first period of Saturday's preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after being hit knee-on-knee by Cedric Pare. Laine was skating into the zone of the Maple Leafs when his left knee came in contact with that of Pare, resulting in an awkward bend of the knee. The contact sent Laine to the ice immediately, grimacing in pain, and left fans and teammates very concerned.

Immediately clutching his ankle area and appearing to be in a great deal of pain, Patrik Laine remained on the ice for several minutes, clearly in distress, as medical staff rushed to atttend to him. He was eventually helped off by trainers, unable to put any weight on his left leg. This immediately made one worry about the severity of the injury, as it's not uncommon to see knee-on-knee collisions result in ligament damage that keeps players out for a long period of time. The game would move on, of course, but Laine's early departure took the cake in what was a hard-fought 2-1 loss for the Canadiens at the Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After the game, more concerning details emerged. According to RDS reporter Patrick Friolet, who witnessed him leave the arena on crutches, his left knee was heavily braced. The team has yet to confirm the injury's severity. This development, coming a little less than a week before the regular season opener, puts a big question mark over his availability for the start of the season and perhaps way into the season. His head coach, Martin St-Louis, was not in a mood to play games and has had enough with the NHL and Gary Bettman and was not afraid to speak his mind.

Speculation has already started among medical experts about the nature of the injury. Dr. Harjas Grewal, a sports medicine specialist, said the spectrum of possibilities could be anything from a torn ACL or MCL down to the more minor variety, a meniscus tear or bone bruise. Though an MRI would be the final determinant, Grewal added the most severe scenario could rule him out for the remainder of the season, especially if several of those injuries are combined. At best, and considering it is less serious, Patrik Laine could be out several weeks and thus miss some important early-season games. He isn't the first one to suffer an injury this preseason, as the number of players being put out of commission are starting to pile up.

It is just another chapter in the unfortunate injury-riddled career of Patrik Laine. The Finnish forward, traded to the Canadiens this summer following his request to get a fresh start, had high hopes for a rebound season in Montreal. His last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets was short-lived, as a clavicle injury restricted him to just 18 games. This latest knee problem raises very serious doubts over whether he can stay healthy and contribute this season. There were no updates from head coach Martin St-Louis postgame about the severity of the injury and what exactly Patrik Laine is suffering from, and the hockey world now waits anxiously to get a better look at his future via his MRI results that should be revealed shortly.