With Patrik Laine currently receiving care from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau has picked up Laine’s commitment to donate $1,000 a point for the rest of the season to promote men’s mental health awareness and support in Columbus, and he explained that choice when speaking to the media.
“We miss Patty in the locker room,” Johnny Gaudreau said, via Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. “We miss seeing him around the rink and having him around the rink, so when I saw he was doing that to start the season I thought it was awesome and thought it was for a great cause. And then he happened to have to go into the program and kind of deal with stuff like that, so I thought what better way to kind of support him and kind of pick up from where he left off and try to help out any way I can. So like I said, we miss Patty and we hope he’s doing well, and we hope to see him back soon.”
Gaudreau said that this choice had nothing to do with the insensitive comments made on a podcast on Monday in reference to Patrik Laine that have since been apologized for.
Laine has not played for the Blue Jackets since breaking his left clavicle during a game in December. He entered the assistance program on Jan. 28. He has played 18 games this season and put up six goals and three assists in those games, according to Hockey Reference.
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