Gary Bettman and the NHL called out by Martin St. Louis following the Patrik Laine incident
Patrik Laine may have suffered a serious injury during the Montreal Canadiens preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which has led Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis to speak out against the NHL.
During the game, Laine took a brutal knee-on-knee hit from Leafs forward Cedric Pare, and the aftermath didn't look good.
While Pare's intent is debatable, the fact remains that a player who might never even make it to the NHL injured one of the league's star players with a careless play. In response, Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj took matters into his own hands, confronting Pare in a fight that is likely to result in a suspension for Xhekaj.
This incident has raised an important question that's been circulating among fans as to why is the preseason so long? In the past few days alone, several top NHL players have gone down with injuries in meaningless preseason games, leaving their teams at a disadvantage before the regular season even begins.
Coach Martin St. Louis voiced out his frustration by calling out the league in his postgame comments.
St. Louis' frustration is understandable, though it could land him in hot water with the NHL. Still, his comments reflect the growing frustration among players, coaches, and fans over the grueling length of the preseason, especially as injuries continue to pile up.
While it's unlikely the league will make any changes immediately, St. Louis has voiced an issue that many are starting to take very seriously.
