Patrik Laine officially back: a “Christmas present” for Kirby Dach

At practice this morning , Patrik Laine trained with Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach.

By all rights, this was an indication of what we thought was possible: Laine had signed on to play tonight. And now, the Habs have confirmed that he will play tonight.

No more conditionals.

After today’s practice, Kirby Dach was asked to comment on the news. And the center, who will benefit from the marker’s return, seemed very happy to see him back.

In front of the media, he said it was like an early Christmas present.

#Habs Kirby Dach on having Patrik Laine back tonight: “it’s like an early Christmas present”

– Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) December 3, 2024

The holiday comparison is interesting because when he was injured, I didn’t expect to see him playing in December. And even when the Habs gave a timetable, I didn’t expect to see him play before Christmas.

But in the end, he will. And in fact, the main interested party said he could have played last week, in November. It’s not prudent for the Habs to wait, which is fine.

#Habs Patrik Laine says he probably could have played last week but took a few more practice days and is happy he’ll be making his #GoHabsGo debut at home tonight.

– Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) December 3, 2024

Details to come…