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Patrik Laine may not be playing for the Montreal Canadiens for the first half season, but he made sure to dress up for the occasion. The Finnish winger, who is out for 2-3 months with a knee injury sustained in preseason, wore a flashy violet suit jacket and purple cap for the opening night ceremonies.
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While Canadiens fans were thrilled to welcome Laine to Montreal after he was acquired in a trade from Columbus in the offseason, his bold outfit choice led to some trolling online.
One fan wrote:
"My man Laine lookin like he just stepped off the set of a Wes Anderson movie."
Another joked:
"Pretty well dressed up compare to his first day..."
Here are some more trolls:
"Bro looks like he’s about to sell me some mystical stuff," a user commented.
"Laine's look is Creepy," one fan tweeted.
"He looks like the joker," another wrote.
"It’s sad that they don’t have much to cheer for nowadays," a fan commented.
Laine was all smiles as he soaked in the cheers from the Bell Centre crowd during player introductions. Despite not suting up for the game, it was a special moment for Laine to experience the passion of Canadiens fans firsthand.
Patrik Laine's fiancee Jordan Leigh thanks Canadiens fans for warm welcome
Patrik Laine's fiancée, Jordan Leigh took to Instagram to thank Montreal Canadiens fans for the warm ovation they gave Laine during the team's home opener.
When he was shown on the jumbotron during introduction, Bell Centre erupted in applause for their injured star acquisition. Leigh captured the moment on video and posted it on her Instagram story:
"Habs family, you are literally the best. Our hearts are so full after tonight."
The injury is expected to keep the 24-year-old Finn out for two to three months, but the warm welcome from fans surely lifted his spirits.
Laine said about the setback early this month:
"I'd much rather be on the ice, but I kind of dodged a bullet with the knee. It could've been much worse."
With 204 career NHL goals in 480 NHL games, Patrik Laine brings elite scoring ability to his new team following an offseason trade from Columbus.
