More light has been shed on the Patrik Laine situation.
After practice Tuesday, Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella addressed what happened during Monday's game, how they dealt with it, and where they are now.
"We're by it and we're getting to play Chicago. We're done with it...everything's fine, guys," said Tortorella, who confirmed that Laine will be in the lineup Thursday night against the Blackhawks. "I don't like the light that [Laine]'s been shed in...he's a competitor and he's going to be a huge part of this team."
Laine echoed Tortorella's sentiments, and confirmed the incident had been dealt with internally and they're in a position to proceed as, well, somewhat normal.
"We've moved on. We've talked about it, and it's going to stay in the room. All good now," Laine said.
During Monday's game against the Hurricanes, Laine came off the ice with 6:19 remaining in the second period, and never saw it again. Jack Roslovic scored the game-winning goal as the Blue Jackets bested the Hurricanes, 3-2, but the main focus was Laine and what transpired to lead to the lengthy benching.
Tortorella initially refused to acknowledge why Laine was benched.
"That'll stay in-house," he said.
Then, he let on a little bit to what had happened: "It wasn't because of the missed assignment [on the Hurricanes' game-tying goal]. There's a number of things that come into play with that."
“It’s what I feel I need to do,” Tortorella said after the game. “The last thing I want to do is bench a player. But...we’re just disjointed in all areas – quite honestly, on and off the ice. It’s an easy thing to bench a player. Honestly, that’s the last thing I want to do, but if I think I need to do it, then I need to do it.”
Altercation With Assistant Coach
In Tuesday's edition of Elliotte Friedman's 31 Thoughts, Friedman noted that "multiple sources indicate [the incident] happened when Laine blew off one of the coaches who tried to talk to him about [the missed assignment]."
Friedman continued: "There’s a theory Tortorella wants out, that he’s forcing the Blue Jackets to fire him. Everything I hear is that’s absolutely not the case — he feels a loyalty to the organization and the players there who’ve supported him to find a way to overcome all the challenges they’ve faced."
The Columbus Dispatch was first to report the incident between Laine and an assistant coach.
"I think [Laine] understands it and now has gotten a good dose of who we are and is ready to jump in and be a part of it."– Nick Foligno
Players Chime In
Roslovic, who scored the beautiful game-winner on Monday night, paid Laine a compliment. Of course, he might know Laine the best of any current Blue Jackets player, having played together in Winnipeg before last month's blockbuster trade.
"I know he’s probably going to be one of the best players the next game, if not the best," Roslovic said. "He’s gonna bounce back hard and I think they’ll squash whatever they have (that’s an issue) and it’ll be behind us.”
Cam Atkinson, who also scored on Monday night, knows a Tortorella benching well. He said Monday night that he's been on the receiving end before, and there's no secret as to what can lead to it.
"Torts expects us to play as hard as we can," Atkinson said. "It doesn't matter who you are, and I think everyone knows that. If you're not giving 100% and looking like you're trying he's going to sit you."
"This is who we are. This is what we are as a team," captain Nick Foligno said after Tuesday's practice. "I think [Laine] understands it, and now has gotten a good dose of who we are and is ready to jump in and be a part of it."
