Report: Laine's benching was result of verbally disrespecting a coach
It's been a rocky start for Patrik Laine with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 22-year-old sat for the entire third period of the club's 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. The benching was the result of Laine verbally disrespecting a member of the Blue Jackets' coaching staff, a source told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.
It's unclear which coach Laine reportedly clashed with, as the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.
Laine's last shift on Monday came with 6:19 remaining in the second period, and he logged a season-low 11:14 of ice time.
The 6-foot-5 winger appeared to miss his assignment leading up to the Hurricanes' second goal, but head coach John Tortorella said the benching wasn't due to the miscue, and that a "number of things" came into play.
Columbus acquired Laine from the Winnipeg Jets for the disgruntled Pierre-Luc Dubois in January. The Finnish sniper has recorded three goals in four games with the Blue Jackets.