The way postgame media access works at most NHL arenas, including Nationwide Arena, is that locker rooms open 10-15 minutes after the final horn and two or three players are made available to reporters. The rest of the players are walled off.

But there was a game early this Blue Jackets season when Patrik Laine remained at his locker stall, unbidden, still in uniform, some 30-40 minutes after the final horn sounded. It was one of those nights when the Jackets melted in the third period. Laine just sat there.

Then he muttered a curse. It wasn’t exactly under his breath, either. I heard it. I approached him, identified myself and asked him if he had anything he wanted to get off his mind, on the record. He asked whether he had a choice. Sure, he had a choice.

Laine was frustrated and, it seemed, at least a little bit angry. In such a state, he said he was reticent to talk. No problem. This is a type of a postgame situation I’ve encountered only 2,378 times over the decades.

To me, it was a throwback moment to a time when the postgame locker room was full, or nearly full, of players who understood that the media was a conduit to the public, to the fans, and that facing the music after a loss was part of the deal. In these situations, it was easier to see them as human beings. There used to be captains who went so far as to order their teammates to remain in the locker room after a particularly terrible loss. They were adults enough to know how to handle themselves — even if they didn’t want to say anything.

Words have meaning, even “no comment.”

Laine seems to understand that. He is a talented player and much is expected of him. He expects much of himself. The oft-used line is, “No one is tougher on Laine than Laine,” or words to that effect. He has a reputation as someone who genuinely cares for things beyond his numbers, be they on the stat sheet or the paycheck.

Laine has had a rough go since he arrived in Columbus via trade in January 2021. He has played just 174 games in three-plus seasons. He has been hampered by injuries that nag ― oblique strain, back strain, ankle sprain, triceps strain. He was dealt a crushing blow off the ice when his father (“my best friend”) died in November 2021. He was given a dirty shot to the head that resulted in a concussion four months ago. He broke his clavicle in December and, as he was readying for a return, he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program at the end of last month. Oftentimes, that means a player is struggling with a mental health issue and needs time to get help.

Earlier this week, a fan/podcaster, while ticking off his many frustrations for the last-place Blue Jackets, suggested that Laine was contemplating suicide. Three other fan/podcasters covered their mouths and laughed. They didn't roar out loud or anything, but it was clear they thought this was funny.

Laine was alerted to this, somehow, and took to social media to say, “This is just not okay.” 

No, it is not. To the credit of the fan/podcasters, they did not double down. They were quick to acknowledge their terrible mistake and the possible injury it may have caused. Words have meaning and suicide is not a podcast punchline. The fan/podcasters apologized and pledged to atone.

As our Jackets beat writer Brian Hedger has noted, the cause of mental health is important to Laine, who in October announced he was donating to, and spearheading, a fundraising effort to promote men’s mental health awareness in Columbus. The “Laine Gives Back” program raises funds for OhioHealth Foundation’s mental health resources and local support system.

Laine’s teammates have rallied behind him. Johnny Gaudreau, for one, has picked up on Laine’s pledge and will donate $1,000 for every point he scores over the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, a social-media drive gathered momentum with the help of influencer Andrew Telfer, aka “Nasher” and Laine’s agent/reps at Octagon Hockey. Thousands of dollars were raised for “Laine Gives Back” by the time final horn sounded on the Jackets’ 6-3 loss in Ottawa Tuesday night.

Gaudreau had a $1,000 game, by the way, then a $2,000 game Saturday at San Jose.

Laine, like any self-reflective human being, is trying to find peace and needs help. That is the only thing that matters in all of this. Let him be helped as he helps others.

marace@dispatch.com

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Arace: Blue Jackets forward Patrik Line seeks peace and needs help