Patrik Laine and his agency criticized insensitive comments about suicide in reference to the Columbus Blue Jackets forward, who is currently being cared for by the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, on Monday's podcast.
Octagon Hockey said in a statement posted on social media Tuesday that it was disappointed by Laine's “reprehensible comments” about leaving the team because he was considering “retiring Remington,” which referred to suicide.
In a post on her social media, Lane responded to the video with the comment, “This is not good.”
Members of the podcast B&B Roundtable posted a video apologizing to Lane.
“While I appreciate the podcast's apology for its comments, words have consequences,” Octagon said. “Suicide is not a punchline. We continue to firmly condemn such language and advocate for mental health awareness. Patrick's commitment to promoting mental health is strong.”
Lane had opened up about her mental health long before she joined the support program last month.
“After careful consideration and discussions with my support network and team, I recognized the importance of prioritizing my mental health and well-being,” Lane wrote on Instagram when joining the program. “Hockey is my passion and my life, but I realized that in order to perform at my best, I needed to take time to focus on myself.”
Laine, a 25-year-old from Finland, has not played since breaking his left collarbone during a game in mid-December. He played in only 18 games due to injury, recording six goals and three assists.
Laine, the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft by Winnipeg, is in his third full season with the Blue Jackets in 2021, having been acquired in a trade with the Jets. He has 212 goals and 191 assists in 504 regular season and playoff games. .
Laine is one of four players announced for this season by the NHL and NHLPA in their programs, along with Colorado's Samuel Girard and Valeri Nichushkin and Washington's Evgeny Kuznetsov.
