Breakaway on SI

Maple Leafs' Cedric Pare Called Canadien’s Patrik Laine After Vicious Hit

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare reached out to Montreal Canadiens star Patrik Laine after leaving him with an injured knee.

Nick Horwat

Coachella Valley Firebirds forward Ryan Winterton (27), left, and Colorado Eagles forward Cedric Pare (65) battle for the puck at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on Sun., Dec. 17, 2023.
Coachella Valley Firebirds forward Ryan Winterton (27), left, and Colorado Eagles forward Cedric Pare (65) battle for the puck at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on Sun., Dec. 17, 2023. / Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

The Montreal Canadiens got the best-case scenario after Patrik Laine suffered a brutal knee injury in a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Knee-on-knee contact bent Laine’s knee in the wrong direction, forcing him to use crutches to get around.

The Canadiens announced that Laine will not need surgery and is expected to miss two to three months. Laine stated it was his final decision to pass on surgery, but he also opened up about Pare.

Fans between these two clubs are usually at each other’s throats, but this incident escalated things to another degree. As for the players on the ice, Laine said Pare reached out to apologize for the situation.

“He texted me afterward,” Laine said. “I give him respect for that.”

A lot was made about Pare’s hit being a dirty or illegal play, but no call was made on the ice. Pare didn’t get a call from the Department of Player Safety and he’ll very likely not play on the Maple Leafs NHL roster in 2024-25.

Laine was appreciative of Pare’s gesture but also noted it was partially his own fault.

“I don’t think anyone trying to hurt anybody,” Laine said. “It’s a fast game, I put myself into that situation a little bit.”

Laine and the Canadiens are lucky that the forward will only miss about three months. In the same game, young defenseman David Reisnbacher suffered a knee injury and is expected to be out five to six months.

It’s not yet clear when Laine will be off of his crutches and back on the ice, but the team is looking forward to taking things day by day in getting their newest star healthy as quickly as possible.

It was an unfortunate situation that luckily didn’t turn out as bad as many initially thought.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

Published
Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

Home/News Feed Page