Columbus Blue Jackets' Patrik Laine enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
SEATTLE — Patrik Laine’s “setback” that sent him back to Columbus during the Blue Jackets’ road trip is much more serious than a collarbone injury.
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It was announced Sunday by the Blue Jackets, NHL and NHL Players Association that Laine has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and will be unavailable for an indefinite time while he receives care.
His return to hockey now requires approval by administrators of the program, which was founded in 1996 as a jointly-funded means to provide players and their families assistance with mental health, substance abuse and other issues.
“Patrik has our complete support, and our sole concern is his well-being,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement released by the team. “Out of respect for Patrik, we will have no further comment.”
While he's out, Laine will remain on injured reserve and his $8.7 million annual salary will count toward the Blue Jackets' cap number. If he's out for an extended time, he might qualify for long-term injured reserve that would provide the Jackets with cap relief at whatever amount his annual salary puts them over the ceiling, which for this season is $83.5 million.
Most important, however, is Laine's health and well-being.
"We’re just human beings at the end of the day, and sometimes guys need that program," defenseman Erik Gudbranson said. "I’m really glad it’s there. So, we’re standing with Patty. He’s got our full support, even though he’s not here with us.”
Laine fractured his clavicle Dec. 14 in an overtime road win against the Toronto Maple Leafs and was given a six-week estimate for recovery. That mark arrived Thursday without Laine's return, but he'd practiced for more than a week in preparation for a return during the trip. Instead, he was sent back to Columbus before the Blue Jackets played the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night at Rogers Arena.
Asked why Laine didn’t take the morning skate, coach Pascal Vincent said Laine had a “setback with his injury” and was sent to Columbus, making it seem as though something happened with his collarbone again. Kekalainen told the Dispatch via text message it was just a "setback" without referring to an injury.
Prior to the Blue Jackets concluding a back-to-back set Sunday against the Seattle Kraken, Vincent "set the record straight" by apologizing to fans and media for his inaccurate characterization of why Laine was no longer with the team.
"In an attempt to protect Patrik ... I misspoke in the sense that he had a setback and he had to go home because of that," Vincent said. "I apologize to (everybody), but my intentions were to protect Patrik, because we care a whole lot about him and we’re going to miss this man for the time being. He’s a big deal for us, and we’re going to do everything we can to help him. That program is there because it’s valued. It’s a great thing for the players and we’re going to go from there.”
It's been a trying season for Laine, who's dealt with a constant stream of injuries, inconsistent play and the first healthy scratch of his career, which at the time he described as “the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to me,” after sitting out Nov. 19 in Philadelphia.
Hearing him describe it that way shouldn't have come as a surprise to those who've followed Laine's career closely. Nobody is harder on Laine than he is, which has been the case multiple times during interviews since the Blue Jackets acquired Laine and Jack Roslovic from the Winnipeg Jets in a January 2021 trade for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Laine's six goals three assists and nine points in 18 games aren't anywhere close to his usual per-game averages in offensive production, which was a sore spot prior to the collarbone fracture. That injury was just one of three health issues that caused Laine to miss games this season, and he's been plagued by injuries for three years running.
Two years ago, an oblique strain plus the unexpected death of his father in Finland caused him to miss almost two months following a strong start to the 2021-22 campaign. He also missed a handful of games with a back strain to end that season. Last year, Laine missed significant time with an elbow strain, an ankle sprain and a strained triceps muscle in his right arm.
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This season, an early concussion kept him out nine games, an illness forced him to miss three games in December and his fractured collarbone cost Laine more than six weeks (17 games) before entering into the assistance program.
“I’m glad he’s utilizing it," Gudbranson said. "I’m glad that it’s there for him and that it’s there for us if we ever do need it. We’re just standing with Patty, hoping he gets the help he needs.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets' Laine enters NHL/NHLPA assistance program
