Patrik Laine's fiancee Jordan opens up about hockey fans' idolization led to "one of the scariest decisions" Habs star ever made

Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine’s fiancee, Jordan Leigh, recently shared insights about his decision to enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January 2024. She described it as “one of the scariest decisions” of his life.

In an interview with mental health advocate Kati Morton on Wednesday, Leigh mentioned the immense pressure Laine faced due to the expectations of the game.

“Patty went into the Player's Assistance Program in January of last year,” she said. “And when he did, it was one of the scariest decisions that he'll say that he's had to make. There's a lot of pressure when you're in that space, and everybody wants you to do well.”

Leigh also noted how his openness inspired others, with fans reaching out to share how his story encouraged them to prioritize their own mental health.

“What ended up happening and that we're so grateful for is that when he did that, people were so overwhelmingly positively responding to it,” she said. “I think that when that happened, it really showed a lot of people that Patty is a human.”

She explained how the idolization of star athletes, though flattering, can dehumanize players by placing them on unreachable pedestals. Leigh said:

“I think that a lot of times in a problem that happens in the hockey world is that these guys are idolized, which is, it's cool to feel like a superstar, but the thing is there's two different ways that you can dehumanize somebody. And one of them is dismissing them, but the other is idolizing them. I never thought of it that way, but yeah.”

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Patrik Liane and Jordan Leigh founded “From Us to You” to help people prioritize mental health

In January 2024, Patrik Laine announced that he was entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to focus on his mental health and well-being. At the time he was playing for Columbus, and Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said the team fully supported Laine’s decision.

In August, Laine and his fiancee, Jordan Leigh, launched "From Us to You" as a mental health initiative. The couple mentioned that they had been inspired by the support they received from the community during and after Laine entered the NHLPA program.

“From Us to You” aims to create a platform where individuals can openly discuss and share their mental health experiences.

Since then, both Patrik Laine and Jordan Leigh have been actively working for the cause. In fact, earlier this week, Leigh partnered with the NHL for the annual Hockey Talks week and gave away 10 ceremonial pucks at Bell Centre on behalf of the “From Us to You” initiative.