Hockey

Patrik Laine: his father’s death changed everything when he was 22
Christopher Brown
Patrik Laine: his father’s death changed everything when he was 22
Credit: Getty Images

Patrik Laine has had his share of problems during his career. After a dazzling start with the Jets in Winnipeg, he slowed down with the Blue Jackets and missed several games.

Last season, Laine entered the NHL's Player Assistance Program to deal with mental health issues. These problems could be linked to the death of his father.

Laine's father passed away suddenly at the age of 54 in late 2021, while Patrik was playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The straight shooter left the team to attend his father's funeral in Finland.

The death of Patrik Laine's father was certainly a blow to the player. We mustn't forget that his father had no illness and that his death came as a real surprise to Laine.

On top of that, Laine and his father were very close and spent a lot of time together. The father was often in North America to spend time with his son.

Losing such an important person at the age of 22 was not easy for Laine.

Gélinas goes on to explain that many people were pointing the finger at Laine's video game addiction, but that it's probably one of the less dangerous addictions. It wasn't Fortnite that turned Laine's career upside down.

After that sad event, Laine was never able to complete an 82-game NHL season. He seemed really shaken up, and the idea of joining the NHL's Player Assistance Program was perfect.

He may have missed a lot of games during an important time in his career, but having taken the lead in this situation will probably help him in his new journey with the Canadiens.

In a press conference on the very day of the deal that brought him to Montreal, Laine hammered home the fact that he feels extremely well mentally and is ready to start playing again.

Hopefully, his stint in the NHL's Player Assistance Program has really helped him get back to enjoying hockey.


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