Blue Jackets players call out Laine for telling lies in the media

Earlier today Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine had some critical words for his former teammates on the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Laine opened up with Blue Jackets reporter Aaron Portzlline earlier today, expressing his reasons for wanting a trade out of Columbus:

"I feel like we were just doing the same thing year after year," said Laine as per Portzline. "I was tired of losing and just giving up when it’s December to start focusing on next year. I’m not going to do that. That’s frustrating as a player when you’re trying to win and some people are, you know, not like that."

- Patrik Laine

Reporters then pressed Laine to clarify if he was referring to members of his former team's front office or on-ice personnel. Laine wouldn't tip his hand either way, saying:

"I’ll leave that for everybody’s imagination," said the Canadiens forward. "But there were certainly, certainly people like that who were a little too comfortable and fine with losing and just doing the same thing year after year. I’m going to leave that up for discussion for everybody else."

- Patrik Laine

As you can imagine, those comments aren't going over well with the Blue Jackets' fanbase. Blue Jackets fans who supported Laine in his short time with the club are now posting online that they feel betrayed by the Finnish sniper. 

That sentiment has now reached the team with star defenseman Zach Werenski now calling out Laine for his disparaging remarks about his organization.

Check it out:

In the end it's Werenski and the Blue Jackets who got the last laugh as they earned themselves a 5-4 victory on home ice this evening.

Read below for our full account of Laine's media availability today, published by Hockey Feed staff writer Jonathan Larrivee as events occurred.

 Montreal Canadiens star forward Patrik Laine has opened up about the trade that brought him to the Canadiens earlier this year and, quite frankly, the comments he has made about the situation reflect rather poorly on the Columbus Blue Jackets organization as a whole.

Laine recently spoke with Columbus Blue Jackets insider Aaron Portzline and other reporters about the trade demands he made that led to him being moved to a new team, with Laine revealing the real reason that motivated him to make that difficult decision.

"I feel like we were just doing the same thing year after year," said Laine as per Portzline. "I was tired of losing and just giving up when it’s December to start focusing on next year. I’m not going to do that. That’s frustrating as a player when you’re trying to win and some people are, you know, not like that."

Now that is perfectly understandable from anyone's perspective, but it was what Laine said about how the organization viewed that situation that truly highlights just how bad the situation in Columbus may have been for a competitor like Laine.

"They’re a little too satisfied and too comfortable where they’re at," admitted Laine. "It wasn’t really a fit for me anymore. But here (in Montreal), it doesn’t matter if we’re winning or losing, we’re always trying our best. That’s what I felt about it (in Columbus)."

Laine was pressed on those comments by reporters, who asked the star forward if he was referring to his fellow teammates in Columbus or to the organization's management, but Laine stopped short of pointing any fingers directly at one group or the other.

"I’ll leave that for everybody’s imagination," said the Canadiens forward. "But there were certainly, certainly people like that who were a little too comfortable and fine with losing and just doing the same thing year after year. I’m going to leave that up for discussion for everybody else."

These comments likely won't go over very well in Columbus but it is hard not to notice just how much more Laine seems to be enjoying life with his new team. In spite of the fact that the Canadiens find themselves well out of playoff contention at this stage of the regular season, Laine appears to be loving every moment on the ice. That is especially true when it comes to playing on home ice in front of the raucous Canadiens crowd at the Bell Centre.

"I’m having the time of my life here (in Montreal)," said Laine.