The Montreal Canadiens introduced on Saturday that proper winger Patrik Laine will miss three-to-four months following a surgical procedure to restore a core muscle. This implies Laine’s standing to symbolize Finland on the 2026 Winter Olympics may very well be in jeopardy, with the video games starting on Feb. 6 and his return timeline starting from late January to late February.

The seven-time 20-goal scorer final hit the ice on Oct. 16 of their recreation in opposition to the Nashville Predators and has been absent from the lineup since, listed day-to-day with a decrease physique harm. In 5 video games this season, he had one help. Final season, Laine had 33 factors, together with 20 targets and 13 assists.

This 12 months was Laine’s first likelihood to symbolize his residence nation within the Olympics, because the NHL is permitting gamers to take part for the primary time since 2014. 

His worldwide play features a World Junior Championship with Finland in 2016 in addition to silver within the IIHF World Championship and the IIHF World U18 Championship. He had three assists in three video games within the 4 Nations Face-Off final season as a member of workforce Finland.

Finland received its first Olympic males’s ice hockey gold medal in 2022, defeating the Russian Olympic Committee. Finland’s journey to repeat has already taken some hits, with star Aleksander Barkov, who tore his ACL and MCL in coaching camp, out for months.

Different gamers representing Finland, Juuso Valimaki, Kaapo Kakko, Rasmus Ristolainen and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, have missed the start of the NHL season resulting from harm.

Laine joined the Canadiens in 2024 and beforehand performed for the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets.