Blue Jackets fire back after Laine roasts organization

[Kobe Armstrong]

It's reserved almost only for Laine. He has two things over the others. The shot and because shooting is the most exciting thing in hockey it never goes out of style. The other thing is the personality. Other Finnish star players are much more cookie cutter and you just can't get clicks for their antics because they don't do stuff like this. He has a big set of haters too, which doesn't really happen with the more traditional guys. Controversy drives media

Have to assume that Laine is a bigger star in Finland than any NHL player is in the US

 

[majormajor]

It does seem bizarre for four so-called leaders to go after a mercurial forward with known depression issues and a goalie who watched his best friend die in an off-season accident. It turns out having the fans and teammates support Laine is working out for him, who would have guessed?

This was in 2021 before Kivlenieks passing and before Laine's more notable mental health issues came out

Nothing bizarre about it. If you build a code / ethic in your locker room and then feel like two of the players aren't playing by the code / ethic, then it makes sense to want them out before what you built is ruined. The Jackets would have been much better off if they listened to their leaders.

 

[karhukissa]

Are hockey players very big celebrities in Finland? Just curious if Laine is a big shot when he goes back home and they talk about him on the news and what not.

I'm mostly asking from a cultural perspective because I assumed Finns don't sensationalize/idolize celebrities like we do in America

Hockey players are very big celebrities in Finland, but mostly they are very low key personalities. Then there is Teemu Selänne, who was a megastar even before joining the NHL, he was in commercials everywhere. He was like the favorite child of all Finnish people.

Laine is a massive star in Finland, currently the most popular of our NHL guys. Anything he does will sell papers and get clicks. But Finns usually like humble guys, so his controversies also means he has lot of haters too.

Funny thing is that an average person who doesn't follow hockey at all or not much, knows probably Jesse Puljujärvi over Rantanen or Heiskanen.

 

[Marioesque]

Have to assume that Laine is a bigger star in Finland than any NHL player is in the US

Yes of course. Hockey is #1 in Finland and like #5 in USA and populations are very different size.

If you ask a football fan in Kansas who Auston Matthews is, they have no clue.

You ask a soccer fan in Finland who Patrik Laine is and they will know. Probably in Sweden too.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

The guy has been nothing but a drama llama his entire career.

 

[Marioesque]

Then there is Teemu Selänne, who was a megastar even before joining the NHL, he was in commercials everywhere. He was like the favorite child of all Finnish people.

I said when Teemu retired that he'd win the presidential election immediately if he ran.

And today I am so happy he has never thought of doing, jesus christ could you imagine

 

[These Are The Days]

I don't necessarily think the remarks are classless as much as Laine for one reason or another was never available to provide any kind of the solution to the problems he is complaining about. Johnny Gaudreau just freaking died and Laine thinks this an appropriate time to say this

 

[dirtydanglez]

honestly one of the best responses you could hope for. columbus took him out of the game after only 6 minutes of ice time just by throwing a few checks. laine has got to be one of the softest players in the league.

 

[Viqsi]

After playing in 45 (out of 56) and 56 (out of 82 games) he signs an $8.7M x 4year deal, and then proceeds to play in 55 and 18 games after signing it and he has the gall to call out his teammates?

I'm not saying injuries or the issues he face were his fault, but if you aren't in the battle with your teammates, it's bush league to call them out.

Truthfully, I had thought part of why he wanted to move on from here was because I assumed he felt guilty about being unable to play more due to injury and wanted a fresh start away from it all. (Had presumed that from how he seemed to, if anything, try to do too much on the ice; I had thought it a manifestation of wanting to do as much as he could by the team - much like how Rick Nash operated while he was here - rather than a Main Character Syndrome red flag). I never imagined he'd pull something like this. I feel like I've been played for a sucker and I am so very, very pissed off.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

edmonton had 11 top 10 picks. 6 of which were top 5 picks. 4 of those picks were 1st overall. no other team has had that much help to get off their feet.

Cool, that was 2019
Welcome to the end of 2024

 

[karhukissa]

I said when Teemu retired that he'd win the presidential election immediately if he ran.

And today I am so happy he has never thought of doing, jesus christ could you imagine

Oh for sure, he was as close to being sacred as anything. No negative articles, no bad rumours. Popularity off the charts.

But yeah, then he joined twitter and the rest is history

 

[dirtydanglez]

Cool, that was 2019
Welcome to the end of 2024

the point is they have nothing to show for it. even after getting a generational player.

 

[93LEAFS]

It's funny to see some of the same old Lainiacs who were pumping him as some Ovi level player in 2016 still defending him 8 years later. Forget competition with Matthews, he's been outscored in his career by Matthew Tkachuk and Alex Debrincat.

Laine has a clear talent which will get him a roster spot, but for some people it's always everyone but Laine's fault. First it was Maurice (a guy who just won a cup), then it was Blake Wheeler, then it was vets pushing him down the line-up, then it was Torts, etc. Soon when he goes cold and gets pushed down a line it will be Caufield or Suzuki is holding him back.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

As a father of a child with mental health issues you need to learn radical acceptance and not take things they say personally, easier said than done trust me so I have no problem with CBJs response and I also don’t think there was malicious intent behind Patty’s comments.

 

[gritdash60]

"Blue Jackets fire back" Nah, more like this hack Portzline fires back. He is a diehard Blue Jackets fanboy, which i respect, but the way he does things i don't. He will be rambling about Laine for few months now, every game he doesnt get a point he will be all over him.

Those were some stupid comments by Laine, but i already hate how this will go, because i know Portzline will not let this go anytime soon. Maybe understand the fact that in Finland we usually just say things bluntly as they are, without sugarcoating anything.

I don't think Laine meant it as a shot to his former teammates and something was kinda lost in translation. For example in finnish interview Patrik said Gaudreau was easily the best player he has ever played with, i don't think he meant the comments as a shot towards Blue Jackets players.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Columbus letting him do what he needed to get mentally better and take personal time then proceeding to do this after he got moved (which he requested) is pretty low class.

Good on Werenski for standing up for the org. They’re not perfect but Laine to shit on them on his way out, so unnecessary.

 

[Viqsi]

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell: 'Losing was acceptable and losing is not acceptable' | TSN

Newly minted Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell believes his new team needs a culture change in order to be successful going forward.

www.tsn.ca

Where is the outrage about their own GM?

Laine forced his way out around the same time Waddell said that. If Laine was being genuine in his desire, then he could have been part of turning that around. He could have made that effort Instead, he opted to run away, and then just now turned around and repaid our trying to have his back at his low moments by throwing our own lowest moments right back in our faces. Which, incidentally, is classic NPD behavior.

More to the point, quite a lot has happened between when Waddell made that comment and when Laine decided it would be prudent to echo it. Consider, for example, his never once even mentioning Johnny (z''l).

This man is not worthy of your benefit of the doubt. He will use you. Don't let him.

 

[Viqsi]

Probably was referring to Jarmo's management and coaching personnel moreso than the players. They cleaned house so obviously the owner felt the same way as Laine.

Except that Laine doubled down on his "get me the hell out of here" request after the management change. Maybe if Kekalainen was still the GM here - or had been the GM who traded Laine to the Habs - he'd have had a point. But no. The Fresh Start had already begun here and he wanted absolutely no part of it.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Except that Laine doubled down on his "get me the hell out of here" request after the management change. Maybe if Kekalainen was still the GM here - or had been the GM who traded Laine to the Habs - he'd have had a point. But no. The Fresh Start had already begun here and he wanted absolutely no part of it.

He knew he lost his in. Jarmo wouldn't let Laine be truly held accountable. Remember the time Vincent benched him? Laine took that like a complete bitch. He was playing like shit and felt he should stay in the lineup because...reasons.

 

[DavidpauseReinbacher]

Yawn Laine did something that should happen more often.

 

[Viqsi]

He knew he lost his in. Jarmo wouldn't let Laine be truly held accountable. Remember the time Vincent benched him? Laine took that like a complete bitch. He was playing like shit and felt he should stay in the lineup because...reasons.

I'm not going to speculate further about that sort of thing. What he's actually already done and shown is much more than enough.

 

[Viqsi]

Why is Werenski getting so emotional, just ignore him. His comments weren't that deep

I'm going to guess it has something to do with Mattis Kivlenieks, Harri Laine, and Johnny Gaudreau, all within a couple short years of eachother.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell: 'Losing was acceptable and losing is not acceptable' | TSN

Newly minted Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell believes his new team needs a culture change in order to be successful going forward.

www.tsn.ca

Where is the outrage about their own GM?

Waddell was brought here to fix the issue, he wasn't a part of the issue. Theres a reason why when Waddell was brought on board he was immediately OK with Laine wanting out and didn't try to keep or convince him to stay on.

Laine was part of the issue. Which is the hilarious part. The very thing he ripped the CBJ organization for is the exact thing he was a part of. Every part of his tenure in Winnipeg or in Columbus was always "whats wrong with Laine" or "what can get Laine going." Laine is very much about Laine and theres a reason he's rubbed his teammates the wrong way in Winnipeg and now Columbus. And no, its not a culture thing, because we have had plenty of other Finns who were just as monotone but were non issues in the locker room. He's 2/2 on being a problem and there's probably no stopping it from happening again. (Also 3/3 if you want to count the whole "coach killing" thing as a junior player)

The overall point he makes about the team being too accepting of losing is fine, I think it holds water. But to act like he wasn't a part of it? Thats where it gets hilarious. The organization stood by him throughout the benchings he got with Torts and Vincent (even helped escort Torts out of town for it), through his fathers tragic passing, and then last year during his stint in the PAP. Other than some idiots on a podcast, the fans mostly stood by him too.

He's shown his character as a player and person multiple times and has worn out his welcome multiple times.

 

[Marioesque]

Except that Laine doubled down on his "get me the hell out of here" request after the management change. Maybe if Kekalainen was still the GM here - or had been the GM who traded Laine to the Habs - he'd have had a point. But no. The Fresh Start had already begun here and he wanted absolutely no part of it.

If you were working somewhere where they weren't apparently very interested in progressing much towards winning, and after 3 years you figured it's time to change the scenery, would a slight personnel change make you really go "oh yeah now it's gonna get serious"? I get your point, he could have committed to being part of that change but this was his way out of situation. It is what it is, can't say I've always been a fan of his problem solving or oversharing in the media.

Columbus is playing better hockey this season than in a long while. That's to be expected, we've all known how good the young core is and their emergence was expected. And the Russians were all hits and getting better. Not shocked at all that CBJ is currently better than Montreal, there's more depth. The guys have grown into their roles.

Yesterday I saw someone mention in the CBJ board thread something like "not surprising he felt that way about some fans where he received death threats". I don't know if that's a thing that happened, first time I heard it mentioned and not saying it's a real thing, just curious if anyone heard about it?

I also immediately pictured bus cutting out letters from newspapers but that's on me

 

[Viqsi]

Noted. Narcissists can use self loathing to deflect criticism, though. It’s a less common trait, but one that allows them control.

Quoted for truth. Have personally dealt with the like before. It doesn't make him not a narcissist. It's telling people what he thinks they want to hear.