Unfortunately for Laine, he has just been demoted to a different line by Finland and is now separated from his close friend Sebastian Aho.
It's a tough break, as he was thrilled to play alongside Aho and Roope Hintz, but he is now paired with young forward Anton Lundell.
Here's the new lineup:
During the game against the United States, Laine finished the game with 0 points, a plus-minus of 0, one shot on goal, and one hit in just under 16 minutes of ice time.
He is expected to play less today.
Patrik Laine, 26 years old, has accumulated 18 points in 28 games this season, including 12 goals, but things have been more difficult for him in recent weeks after a sensational start.
As for Joel Armia, he has just lost his role as a regular in Finland's lineup at the Four Nations Faceoff.
Finland's head coach, Antti Pennanen, has just announced that Armia has been removed from the lineup, sent to the stands, and is no longer a regular in their formation.
It's unfortunate because he added a unique dimension to their lineup, but he has now been replaced by Kaapo Kakko.
In Thursday's game against the United States, Armia finished the game with 0 points, a -1 rating, four penalty minutes, one shot on goal, and one hit in just over nine minutes of ice time (9:52).
Finland will face Sweden today at 1:00 PM.
Kevin Lankinen will be in net for the Finns, while Filip Gustavsson will once again start for the Swedes.
What a great day for hockey fans.
POLL | ||
FEVRIER 15 | 2073 ANSWERS Bad News for Patrik Laine and Joel Armia as They Are Demoted Ahead of Today's Game Who is the better player right now, in your opinion, between Laine and Granlund? | ||