Patrick Laine's Canadiens teammate punished after retaliation hit vs. Maple Leafs

While Montreal Canadiens fans anxiously await an update on injured first-year Habs forward Patrik Laine, the NHL has taken disciplinary action against his teammate Arber Xhekaj for his actions following the injury.

Xhekaj has been fined US$3,385.42, the maximum amount allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for grabbing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare and pummelling him with several punches to the back of the head; the money will go toward the Player's Emergency Assistance Fund.

It was Pare who injured Laine with a knee-on-knee hit early in the first period of Saturday's exhibition matchup at Bell Centre between the two historic rivals, resulting in the latter suffering what many fear to be a severe injury.

Laine couldn't put any weight on his leg and had to be assisted off the ice by the team's medical staff; cameras caught Laine throwing his gloves down in frustration as he made his way toward the dressing room. Immediately afterward, Xhekaj stepped in to defend his injured teammate:

The on-ice officials immediately assessed a minor penalty and a 10-minute misconduct to Xhekaj for instigating, while also giving him a major penalty for fighting and a game misconduct. Meanwhile, Pare wasn't penalized for his hit.

Head coach Martin St. Louis didn't have a long-term assessment of Laine in his postgame media availability, per The Montreal Gazette.

"I don't know if it's a jinx," St. Louis. "I feel we've had that mentality of just ... I've said it before, the league doesn't care. It just keeps going. So for us, we have to keep going. That's what we're going to do and we'll see if it's short-term, long-term (with Laine), we don't know.

He's going to be evaluated and we'll keep going."

Laine did not return to the game, and given how his leg bent awkwardly after being struck by Pare, he could be facing significant time away for rehabilitation. This would be a major setback for the Canadiens ahead of the regular season, as Laine was expected to play a key role in their offense.

Patrik Laine is in his first season with the Canadiens

Laine is in his first season with the Canadiens after being acquired via trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets along with a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.

Laine hasn't played a regular-season game since December 14 of last year. He suffered a broken clavicle and then entered the NHLPA Player Assistance Program the following month due to mental health struggles, spending several months in the program before being cleared in July.

The Canadiens will continue their exhibition schedule when they host the Ottawa Senators at Bell Centre on Tuesday.