Patrik Laine was benched for more than 26 minutes because he “mouthed off” to a Columbus Blue Jackets assistant coach, according to a report from the Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday night.
Laine sat for the final 6:19 of the second period and the entire third period of Monday’s 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 22-year-old was playing in only his fourth game with Columbus. He has three goals in that time.
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Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella avoided specifics when asked about Laine’s benching.
“That’s gonna stay in-house,” Tortorella said after the game. “I know you guys are going to try to work me on that. It wasn’t because of the missed assignment. There’s a number of things that come into play with that. That will stay in the locker room.”
The Blue Jackets acquired Laine and center Jack Roslovic from the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 23 in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick in the 2022 draft.
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–Field Level Media