Leafs' Cedric Pare received death threats on social media for Patrik Laine incident: Report
During TSN's Insider Trading show, insider Darren Dreger revealed that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare received death threats on social media following an incident involving Patrik Laine.
The incident occurred during a preseason game where Habs forward Laine suffered an injury due to a knee-on-knee collision with Pare at 4:49 of the first period in a game the Leafs lost 2-1.
Laine was unable to continue and had to be assisted off the ice, leading to criticism of Cedric Pare's actions, which many considered a "dirty hit." Dreger noted that the rivalry between the Leafs and Canadiens remains intense, particularly in light of the incident.
Laine later referred to the situation as unfortunate, acknowledging that he put himself in a vulnerable position during the play. Laine also revealed that Pare reached out to him via text after the incident, which may have helped to ease some of the tensions.
"He did acknowledge that Parre sent him a text afterwards. So again, maybe that has cooled things a little bit."
Nevertheless, the backlash against Pare continues, with Dreger saying that the Maple Leafs' security team had to step in to disable his social media accounts due to death threats and abusive comments directed at him.
"I think there needs to be an appreciation here for what Pare had to also go through. I'm told that the Toronto Maple Leafs security group had to intervene and disable Pare's social media accounts based on death threats and abuse of comments directed at him. So it's one thing to have a raw rivalry. It's another thing to cross a line," Dreger added.
Darren Dreger emphasized that while rivalries can be passionate, there's a line that shouldn't be crossed, highlighting the need for respect and understanding in such situations.
Patrik Laine avoids surgery following knee-on-knee collision with Cedric Pare
Laine is expected to be out for at least two to three months due to sprained muscles. Initially, there were concerns that he might require surgery, but the Canadiens have confirmed that he won't need any surgical procedure.
Laine clarified that he made the final decision regarding his treatment, opting against surgery on his left knee. In a show of sportsmanship, Cedric Pare reached out to Laine to apologize for the hit that led to the injury, which the Habs forward appreciated.