"His head was still spinning": NHL analyst reveals Patrik Laine's reaction to Canadiens crowd's 'loud' cheers at home opener

In a recent episode of the "32 Thoughts" show, NHL analysts Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas discussed Patrik Laine’s reaction to the loud cheers from Montreal Canadiens fans at their home opener. Laine, who had waited 355 days to play his first regular season game with Montreal, scored in both of his first two games.

The crowd’s excitement was clear, and Laine was amazed by the reception. Bukauskas shared that Laine couldn’t believe how loud the Bell Centre was when he was introduced. He remembered standing on the bench and feeling overwhelmed by the energy.

Laine had never experienced such a warm welcome, and it left a strong impression on him.

"I remember bumping into him briefly at the end of that game and just talking about how the crowd reacted to him," Bukauskas recalled. "And his head was still spinning in a way, like he could not believe how loud that building got when he was shown on the screen.

"Like that was the first real taste of that market, and for him to be embraced in that way, and the roof came off the building. Both goals that he scored this week and two more wins for Montreal as they're trying to crawl out of an early hole that they dug themselves," Bukauskas added.

Laine’s return to Montreal offers hope for the Canadiens. For the 2024-25 regular season, Patrik Laine has recorded two goals, for two points, with a plus-minus of -1.

Friedman added that Laine’s return was like a big trade for Montreal. Although it wasn’t a trade, Laine’s comeback energized the team. It gave them a much-needed boost after a tough start to the season. The fans’ reaction showed how important Laine’s return was to the team’s morale.

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Jake Evans honored by Patrik Laine as Canadiens build positive energy

A new tradition is forming in the Montreal Canadiens' locker room. A recent video showed Samuel Montembeault returning after being named the first star of the game. Cole Caufield’s honor to Monty was caught on camera. Then Laine gave the honor to Jake Evans for his game-winning goal.

Patrik Laine acknowledged the special units and penalty kill as he gave game glasses to Evans, saying:

"The guys on the special units, on the penalty kill, you did an exceptional job, Monty. But I have to give them to the scorer of the game-winning goal ... number 1, Jake Evans," Patrik Laine said.

The Canadiens, with a 10-13-3 record, will play the Washington Capitals, who have a 17-6-2 record. The game is set for 7:00 PM EST on Dec. 7.