Zach Werenski Had Fiery Response to Scathing Comments From Ex-Teammate Patrik Laine

Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine took a shot at his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, ahead of his return to Columbus on Monday night.

In his initial comments, Laine explained that part of the reason he requested a trade away from the Blue Jackets was due to a losers mentality that existed within the franchise, suggesting players were ready to move onto the next season by December.

"I feel like we were just doing the same thing year after year, you know? I was just tired of losing and just giving up when it's December and we'll start focusing on next year. It's like, 'I'm not going to do that,' you know?" said Laine.

Those comments didn't sit well with some of his former teammates, including Columbus captain Zach Werenski. The star defenseman was asked about Laine's remarks after the Blue Jackets' 5–4 win over the Habs on Monday, and he didn't mince words.

"We were nothing but good teammates to him... for him to bash us like that, I think it's unacceptable. I hope he's alright with whatever he's dealing with tonight, but he didn't finish the game. A couple hits and I don't know what happened. But it's unfortunate, we were nothing but good teammates to him," Werenski said.

"Definitely not happy about it. None of us in this room are happy about it. I think it speaks more about him than it does about us," he finished.

Zach Werenski was not happy about Patrik Laine’s comments about Columbus being too satisfied and comfortable about where they’re at.
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— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 24, 2024

Laine spent four seasons in Columbus, though much of his time with the organization was spent recovering from injury. He never played more than 56 games in a season for the Blue Jackets, and only featured in 18 games last year before missing the remainder of the campaign with a fractured collarbone.

Laine eventually requested a trade during the offseason, getting dealt to Montreal in exchange for Jordan Harris and a 2026 second-round pick. His comments prior to Monday's game clearly seem to have rubbed the Blue Jackets locker room the wrong way, prompting the fiery reaction from Werenski.