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Human highlights reel Min Woo Lee has lit up Royal Melbourne to move within a shot of the lead as his superstar playing partner Rory McIlroy briefly threatened to miss the halfway cut on a dramatic day two of the Australian Open.

The stand-out moment of Lee’s second round came when he holed out with a long-range approach shot for eagle on the par-4 10th, raising both arms in triumph.

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Four holes later, McIlroy endured his lowest point when he had a rare air swing after his tee shot finished up under a ti-tree.

The Northern Irishman escaped with a one-putt bogey on the second easiest hole on the course and briefly slipped below the cut line.

“Honestly I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh-air shot,” McIlroy said.

“Not one of my finest moments.”

But McIlroy showed his class to birdie three of the last four holes, signing for a three-under 68 to make the cut by three shots at two under.

Lee had four birdies to go with his hole-out eagle in a flawless six-under 65, which had him in outright third spot at eight under, a single shot behind Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (66) and Portugal’s Daniel Rodrigues, who carded the day’s low round of 64.

Most of Australia’s big guns are in the thick of the action going into the weekend action, headed by Lee.

Former Masters champion Adam Scott (66) rolled in a clutch par putt on the 18th to join countryman Cameron Smith (65) and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz in a tie for fourth at seven under.

Min Woo Lee plays his second shot on the sixth hole on day two. Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

After a string of missed cuts in 2025 — including at all four majors — Smith enjoyed one of his best days of a difficult year.

The 2022 British Open champion roared into contention for a first Australian Open title, capping off a great day with a curling birdie putt on the 18th.

Rising Danish star Neergaard-Petersen locked into the sandbelt mindset as he took a share of the lead.

Fresh off a successful first full year on the DP World Tour, Neergaard-Petersen picked up four shots in three holes early in his second round on Friday and added two further birdies coming home to sign for a 66.

“It makes a difference, certainly knowing what to expect,” said the Dane, who has played several recent rounds at nearby Peninsula-Kingswood with his close friend and DP World Tour colleague David Micheluzzi.

“The eagle I made today, it’s one of those shots you’re never normally thinking about.

“I had a six iron and you’re landing it five steps short of the green. But that’s some of the shots you’ve got to hit here.

“It’s kind of getting into that sandbelt mindset, which I think definitely helped.”

Palesh Muchhal, Smriti Mandhana (left), and Palak Muchhal Singer Palak Muchhal has spoken for the first time about the postponement of her brother Palash Muchhal and India women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti Mandhanaâ€s wedding, saying both families are trying to stay positive after unexpected health emergencies forced a delay in the ceremony. The wedding, scheduled for November 23, was put on hold after Mandhanaâ€s father and Palash were hospitalised on consecutive days.Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhalâ€s wedding, scheduled for November 23, was postponed after health-related issues in the family.

Smriti Mandhana And Palash Muchhal To Get Married On December 7?

The developments began when Mandhanaâ€s father, Shriniwas, became unwell on the day of the ceremony and was taken to a hospital. A day later, groom-to-be Palash Muchhal was also admitted to a hospital in Sangli, Mandhanaâ€s hometown. He was later shifted to Mumbai for treatment and rest.Singer Palak Muchhal has now commented publicly for the first time on the postponement of her brother Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhanaâ€s wedding. In a conversation with Filmfare, Palak spokeabout how both families are dealing with the situation.What did Palak say?When asked how the family is managing the circumstances, Palak said, “I think the families have been through a very tough time. Like you just said, I would just want to repeat that we would like to believe in positivity at this time. We would like to spread positivity as much as we can. We are also trying to stay strong.”How the events unfoldedSmriti Mandhana and Palash Muchhal were set to get married on November 23. The couple and their families had taken part in pre-wedding functions and were seen dancing together during the celebrations. On the wedding day, however, Smritiâ€s father fell ill and was moved to the hospital.Mandhanaâ€s manager later confirmed that the wedding had been postponed and said the families decided to delay the event due to these health issues. After the announcement, Mandhana deleted all wedding-related posts from her Instagram account. Some photos of the two are still visible on Palashâ€s social media pages.Both Shriniwas and Palash have since been discharged from hospital care and are recovering. The families have not yet announced a new date for the wedding.

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Becky Lynch is one of the toughest in the game—but when it comes to her daughter, the crowdâ€s heat hits different.

On a new episode of Somethingâ€s Burning, Becky opened up about a painful moment during WWEâ€s Money in the Bank when her daughter Roux experienced the dark side of wrestling for the first time. The former multi-time champion explained that Roux had been excited to see her mom wrestle live—until the crowd turned on her.

“She was very upset,†Becky recalled. “She like went to sit in the front row—first time sheâ€d ever watched the show. Sheâ€d been starting to get into wrestling music, less so like the actual wrestling part. So, she was sitting in the front row. She had watched the womenâ€s ladder match. She had loved it. And then I came out and now Iâ€m the heel and the bad guy.â€

Things went downhill fast when the chants started.

“She was okay with me being mean. She was okay with me getting beat up. But when the crowd started chanting, ‘Becky sucks,†she could not take it. She was like, ‘My mama doesnâ€t suck. Why are they saying mama sucks?†And then she just bursts into tears and had to come back.â€

Becky tried to explain the nature of the business—how heels are meant to get that kind of reaction. But Roux wasnâ€t buying it.

“I was trying to explain it to her—that thatâ€s me. Iâ€m doing my job. Like it means that Iâ€m good at my job. Like I want them to say ‘Becky sucks.†But she was like, ‘But you donâ€t suck!†She still doesnâ€t get it. Every now and again sheâ€ll ask, ‘Why were they saying mama sucks?â€â€

Seth Rollins, who joined Becky on the show, said the timing of it all made it even more emotional.

“She was like, ‘Why were they saying mama sucks?†She even—like, we watched her on Monday a couple weeks ago, she was wrestling, and she was like, ‘Did they like mama?†Iâ€m like, ‘No, no, baby, they—they gotta boo her. Thatâ€s Mamaâ€s doing her job.â€â€

Becky Lynch may have mastered the art of getting heat from a crowd, but thereâ€s no script that prepares you for seeing your own child cry because of it. Itâ€s a raw, real reminder that wrestling may be scripted—but the emotions behind it are anything but.

What do you think about Becky Lynchâ€s story? Would you be able to separate wrestling kayfabe from real life if your kid were in the crowd? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

November 28, 2025 10:16 am

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There are few positions in the NBA more awkward than the one Anthony Davis currently occupies for the Dallas Mavericks.

This time last year, the big man was LeBron James’ co-star on the Los Angeles Lakers and likely ready to ride out the remainder of his career in Southern California. Now, he’s a symbol of the worst trade in the history of the NBA and facing a potential trade/salary dump as the Mavericks cut their losses.

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Davis never asked to be in this position and remains a good basketball player when healthy. Still, what are you supposed to say when the guy who staked his credibility on you being a championship-level player is fired less than a year later?

We found out Wednesday when Davis spoke to the media for the first time since Dallas unceremoniously fired general manager Nico Harrison. His reaction, via Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News:

“It was surprising more than anything. Nicoâ€s my guy. He played a huge part in getting me here and wanting me to fulfill his vision, in a sense, that he saw. It was definitely tough. Me and him had a conversation. Me and [Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont] had a conversation. Itâ€s the business of basketball, you know what I’m saying. I hate those conversations.”

Anthony Davis appears to be a lame duck in Dallas after the firing of Nico Harrison. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Stacy Revere via Getty Images)

Davis hasn’t played since Oct. 29 due to a calf injury, which is part of the reason why the Mavericks are 5-14 and second-to-last in the Western Conference. His return has loomed for weeks and he’s currently listed as questionable for Dallas’ game against, funnily enough, the Lakers on Friday.

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Trade rumors have swirled around Davis in the meantime, as the Mavericks have been reported to be focusing on 2025 first overall pick Cooper Flagg as their long-term centerpiece. With Flagg only 18 years old and having plenty of development ahead of him, that would suggest the 32-year-old Davis can be better used elsewhere.

However, Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban, who once again has the ear of Dumont, shot down the idea recently.

Asked about the trade rumors Wednesday, Davis shrugged them off as something he can’t control:

“I have no control of that. … Man, look. Y’all make it like weâ€re going to war or something. This is basketball. It comes with it. I think everybody in their careers has been involved in trade talks or been traded. That doesnâ€t affect me. Iâ€ve been in trade talks for a while. My job is to do what I do when Iâ€m on the floor, play basketball and try to lead this team. Whatever comes out of that, comes out of that.â€

We’ll see how long that uncertainty lasts with the NBA trade deadline scheduled for Feb. 6. It was reported earlier Wednesday that Davis will be seeking a contract extension if he indeed gets traded.

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Ariane Andrew reflects on the conversation she had with “Stone Cold†Steve Austin after their infamous WWE Tough Enough exchange.

Fans may remember the viral clip from Tough Enough in which Ariane named Melina vs. Alicia Fox as her favorite match — to the utter confusion of the Rattlesnake.

During a recent appearance on CJ Perryâ€s Identity Crisis podcast, the former Cameron referred to the interaction with Austin as her “favorite moment,†adding that the WWE Hall of Famer later praised her following their initial exchange.

“My favorite moment (was when he asked), ‘Whatâ€s your favorite match?†Iâ€m like, ‘Melina vs. Alicia Fox.†He was like, ‘What?†The way he was so (silent), like, ‘Not me?,â€â€ she recalled.

“Even after, he was like, ‘Kid, youâ€re a star.†He told me, he was like, ‘Youâ€re gonna do really well, Iâ€m really proud of you.†That made me feel good cause Iâ€m like, ‘Damn, I got blasted on TV.†But to have that one-on-one moment where he is like, thereâ€s something about you, you know what youâ€re doing. So to have that where he gave me my flowers and once I got released in 2016, I did his podcast. So how I started my career is how I ended my career.†[H/T Fightful]

Ariane was released from her WWE contract in 2016 after nearly five years with the company. She made a one-off appearance in the 2022 Womenâ€s Royal Rumble, where she was eliminated by Sonya Deville.

READ MORE: Steve Austin Urges WWE Stars to Plan Their Exit Strategy Early

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  Kristen ShiltonNov 18, 2025, 02:14 PM ET

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  Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.

TORONTO — Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving put his full support behind coach Craig Berube as Toronto navigates a disappointing start to the NHL season.

Treliving made his usual quarter-season address to the media on Tuesday and was candid about how the Leafs have “underperformed” given their 8-9-2 record. But Treliving still believes Berube is the right person to get a “disconnected” Toronto team back on track.

“I’ve got all the faith in our coach right now, so I don’t look at that as the issue,” Treliving said. “I believe in Craig and his messaging. Craig didn’t become a bad coach overnight.”

Berube was Treliving’s first coaching hire as Leafs’ GM after he fired former bench boss Sheldon Keefe in May 2024. At the time Treliving felt Toronto needed a new voice and the Leafs responded well to Berube last season, finishing atop the Atlantic Division with 108 points.

Toronto is on pace for just 78 points this year, and Treliving is still figuring out why the Leafs have taken such a slide in Berube’s second season. Other than losing top-line winger Mitch Marner in free agency last summer, this is essentially the same group Berube was working with in 2024-25. The results, though, have continuously fallen short of Treliving’s standards, particularly on the defensive side.

The Leafs are giving up the second-most goals in the league (3.79 per game) and the fifth-most shots against (31.2). Their goaltenders have been average — starter Anthony Stolarz is 6-5-1 with an .884 save percentage, far from the standout he was last season.

Treliving also sees a general lack of “enthusiasm” from the team that suggests something has to change for Toronto to pull itself back into the playoff picture. They’re currently four points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot heading into Tuesday’s game against St. Louis — Berube’s old team.

Treliving stressed it’s on the Leafs’ players to sort out their problems as opposed to management chasing new additions or revamping the staff.

“The reality of the business is you’re not trading your way out of problems,” Treliving said. “We’re not just going to go panic and start throwing things overboard just to do something. My job right now is to support our coach, support his message, and support our group, and push the group.”

Treliving also refused to blame the Leafs’ injury woes for their struggles. Toronto is missing several key skaters with Auston Matthews (lower body), Stolarz (upper body), Nic Roy (upper body), Chris Tanev (upper body), Scott Laughton (upper body) and Brandon Carlo (lower body) all unavailable. It has significantly impacted the Leafs’ center and defensive depth, and that’s a challenge they’ll have to overcome in the short term.

Toronto did claim defenseman Troy Stetcher off waivers from Edmonton this week to as a stopgap, and goaltender Joseph Woll — who played his first game of the season on Saturday after a monthlong absence for personal reasons — should be back up to speed soon.

Matthews, though, only resumed skating Tuesday and will miss his second straight game, while Laughton could return Thursday against Columbus. Treliving is adamant though that unless Toronto can play better collectively, it won’t matter who’s in the lineup.

“I think there’s been too much vanilla with our team,” Treliving said. “I think you can count on one hand how many full, complete games we’ve had. Put anybody in the uniform. “If [we are] playing the way we’re playing, we’re probably going to have the same result.”

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November 10, 2025 | Tim McGovern

Nine English players featured in WTT Star Contender Lignano in Italy last week across four different age categories.

In the Under-19s, Max Radiven, Rohan Dani and Kacper Piwowar all progressed from their groups having won one and lost one each against their respective opponents. Dani and Piwowar put up a good fight in their respective Round of 64 matches against Benjamin Girlinger of Austria and Lowis Vogler of Switzerland, but ultimately lost out. Max Radiven on the other hand had to dig deep to claim a positive result, winning the fifth end 11-9 over Italyâ€s Jacopo Cipriano. In the Round of 32, he couldnâ€t get into the match, and lost out 3-0 to the eventual U19 Boys†Singles winner, Felipe Arado of Brazil.

In the Under-17 event, seven players from the English contingent took part in the group stages with four progressing to the knockout phase. Aarav Parihar, Theo Kniep and Oscar Nikolli werenâ€t able to claim any vital wins despite strong performances against players that as far as the semi finals (Danilo Faso of Italy). Jake Davidson and Max Radiven split their groups with a win and loss each, while Rohan Dani and Kacper Piwowar swept their group stage opposition away to top their respective tables.

With all four players receiving a bye into the Round of 64, Radiven, Piwowar and Dani all progressed with wins over Ivan Kahn (Netherlands), Sasha Campagne (France) and Bryan Zheng (Belgium), while Jake Davidson was defeated by Spainâ€s Luca Khidasheli in straight sets. The Round of 32 was to be the end of the road for English representation in the U17s, as none of the remaining trio were able to see off Min Ming (China), Titouan Morel-Gonzales (France) or Dario Salcedo (Spain) despite close sets in each matchup.

Six English players took part in the Under-15 Boys†Singles event. There were group stage exits for Aarav Parihar, Oscar Nikolli and Rishaan Sawant, with Jake Davidson, Thoe Kniep & Dimitar Dimitrov all battling through their respective groups to make it right into the Round of 64. This round proved to showcase three very close fought contests for all the English youngsters as Davidson was knocked out by eventual quarter finalist Marin Jean of France, 3-2. Dimitrov missed out on a Round of 32 spot to Marcos Gomez of Spain (3-1), while Kniep also faced a narrow defeat to another Spaniard Mateo Lois, 3-2.

Finally, in the Under-13 Boys†Singles, Dimitar Dimitrov and Rishaan Sawant were the English entrants, and both sailed through the group stages, with Dimitrov even defeating Junior Aruna, the son of Nigerian superstar, Quadri Aruna. But the knockout stages provided two more big tests.  Dimitrov lost 3-0, but came about as close as you can get without taking a set, with the scorelines ending 14-12, 11-9, 11-9 to Singaporeâ€s Jonas Chia. Rishaan Sawant was able to take an end off of Pietro Campagna, but the Italian proved too strong, and ended up progressing to the semi finals before facing defeat.

Results

Under-19 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 10
Max Radiven
Jindrich Moravek (CZE) bt Max Radiven 3-2 (7-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4)
Max Radiven bt Matteo Fantoni (ITA) 3-2 (5-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8)

Qualifying group 21
Rohan Dani
Rohan Dani bt Jakub Kabelka (CZE) 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4)
Abishek Vepa (SUI) BT Rohan Dani 3-1 (11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8)

Qualifying group 25
Kacper Piwowar
Kacper Piwowar bt Sirio Meloni (ITA) 3-2 (11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8)
Artur Gromek (POL) bt Kacper Piwowar 3-0 (11-6, 16-14, 12-10)

Round of 64
Benjamin Girlinger (AUT) bt Rohan Dani 3-1 (8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-9)
Lowis Vogler (SUI) bt Kacper Piwowar 3-2 (11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5)
Max Radiven bt Jacopo Cipriano (ITA) 3-2 (14-12, 11-1, 7-11, 6-11, 11-9)

Round of 32
Felipe Arado (BRA) bt Max Radiven 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-5)

Under-17 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 3
Aarav Parihar
Danilo Faso (ITA) bt Aarav Parihar 3-0 (13-11, 11-3, 11-3)
Roger Quesada (ESP) bt Aarav Parihar 3-0 (11-5, 12-10, 11-9)

Qualifying group 6
Jake Davidson
Nazarii Solodkyi (UKR) bt Jake Davidson 3-0 (11-5, 11-1, 11-2)
Jake Davidson bt Agustin Asmu (ARG) 3-1 (12-10, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9)

Qualifying group 14
Rohan Dani
Rohan Dani bt Luciano Medrano (NED) 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-8)
Rohan Dani bt Miroslav Schmidt (BUL) 3-2 (5-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-2, 11-7)

Qualifying group 19
Kacper Piwowar
Kacper Piwowar bt Liam Bouchoir (FRA) 3-2 (4-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Kacper Piwowar bt Lior Seref (ISR) 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4)

Qualifying group 24
Max Radiven
Erik Paulina (ITA) bt Max Radiven 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Max Radiven bt Lee Ao Ling (MAS) (11-2, 13-11, 11-2)

Qualifying group 27
Theo Kniep
Yali Mor (ISR) bt Theo Kniep 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-5)
Giulio Campagna (ITA) bt Theo Kniep 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-2)

Qualifying group 31
Oscar Nikolli
Alvaro Gimeno (ESP) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-2 (4-11, 12-1-, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7)
Natanel Abramov (ISR) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-4)

Round of 64
Max Radiven bt Ivan Kahn (NED) 3-2 (11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7)
Kacper Piwowar bt Sasha Campagne (FRA) 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5)
Luca Khidasheli (ESP) bt Jake Davidson 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-8)
Rohan Dani bt Bryan Zhang (BEL) 3-1 (11-9, 4-11, 11-4, 11-6)

Round of 32
Min Ming (CHN) bt Max Radiven 3-1 (12-14, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3)
Titouan Morel-Gonzales (FRA) bt Kacper Piwowar 3-2 (11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8)
Dario Salcedo (ESP) bt Rohan Dani 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 12-10)

Under-15 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 16
Jake Davidson
Titouan Morel-Gonzales (FRA) bt Jake Davidson 3-1 (11-4, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7)
Jake Davidson bt Ilay Davidov (ISR) 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7)

Qualifying group 18
Aarav Parihar
Miroslav Schmidt (BUL) bt Aarav Parihar 3-1 (7-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-4)
Riccardo Grulliero (ITA) bt Aarav Parihar 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-6)

Qualifying group 21
Theo Kniep
Louis Fegerl (AUT) bt Theo Kniep (11-6, 11-5, 11-8)
Theo Kniep bt Kevin Ahlers (NED) 3-1 (10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8)

Qualifying group 22
Oscar Nikolli
Lucas Simon (FRA) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-3)
Marcos Gomez (ESP) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-6, 11-7)

Qualifying group 24
Dimitar Dimitrov
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Alessandro Peluso (ITA) 3-1 (2-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3)
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Bryan Zhang (BEL) 3-2 (11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6)

Qualifying group 26
Rishaan Sawant
Roger Quesada (ESP) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 14-12)
Rishaan Sawant bt Nathanael Singer (FRA) 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8)
Alan Bryk (POL) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-8)

Round of 64
Marin Jean (FRA) bt Jake Davidson 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7, 11-6)
Marcos Gomez (ESP) bt Dimitar Dimitrov 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5)
Mateo Lois (ESP) bt Theo Kniep 3-2 (11-8, 4-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3)

Under-13 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 4
Dimitar Dimitrov
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Federico Casula (ITA) 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-5)
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Junior Aruna (NGR) 3-1 (11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-7)

Qualifying group 10
Rishaan Sawant
Jan Slavec (ITA) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-1 (11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8)
Rishaan Sawant bt Nathaniel Lim (SGP) 3-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-2)

Round of 32
Jonas Chia (SGP) bt Dimitar Dimitrov 3-0 (14-12, 11-9, 11-9)
Pietro Campagna (ITA) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-1 (11-9, 11-3, 4-11, 11-3)

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Never has a Premier League team had more cliches thrown their way than Tony Pulis’ vintage Stoke City of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Whether it’s questioning Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo’s ability to perform on a cold, rainy night in the Potteries, or being written off as a team of agricultural bruisers and set-piece behemoths, Stoke fans of that era heard it all.

But according to former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, this physicality on its own was not enough to see the Potters establish themselves as a Premier League team and enjoy a ten-year spell in the top flight.

“The owner and the manager have to take a lot of credit, because Stoke were stuck in a rut in the Championship, but they made a decision to put money in without going stupid,” Delap tells FourFourTwo when asked what it was like to help Stoke cement their top flight status.

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Five weeks after Patrik Laine guaranteed weâ€d see the best version of himself on the ice this season, the Montreal Canadiens announced it would be several months before weâ€d see Laine on the ice again.

The Finnish forward underwent core-muscle surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York, earlier this week, after initially being ruled “day-to-day with a lower-body injury†by the club on Oct. 17. Heâ€ll be sidelined for 12-16 weeks after appearing in just five games, earning only one point, registering only six shots on net, and accumulating a minus-three rating.

Those numbers werenâ€t entirely indicative of Laineâ€s performance, which Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis expressed satisfaction with on a couple of occasions in the early part of this season. But itâ€s fair to say the player was slow-burning his way towards displaying the best version of himself.

Thereâ€s no debate itâ€s unfortunate the fire has been suddenly extinguished after an up-and-mostly-down four seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets brought him to Montreal via trade — and after he experienced several highs and lows in his first season with the Canadiens.Â

There have been multiple interruptions to his career over that span, and the one heâ€s dealing with now is coming at the worst possible time.

This is a contract season for Laine. Heâ€s on an expiring $8.7-million cap hit, with $9.1 million in actual salary being paid to him, and the chances of him earning a similar paycheque on his next deal were already slim before this surgery. The 27-year-old is eight seasons removed from his best one in the NHL—a 44-goal, 70-point spree with the Winnipeg Jets—and this most recent surgery is yet another event that will diminish his value.

Laine was hoping to redeem some of it this season, after suffering multiple injuries and doing an extensive stint in the NHL/NHLPA Players†Assistance Program.

But his runway to do so has now been severely reduced.

It appeared it would be non-existent after Laine got injured in his first pre-season game with the Canadiens last year, just six weeks after he was acquired from the Blue Jackets—along with a second-round pick—for Jordan Harris. The knee-on-knee collision with Toronto Marlies centre Cedric Pare left him hobbled, and the initial diagnosis wouldâ€ve left him sidelined for much longer.

Instead, Laine sought a second opinion and ultimately opted for rehabilitation without surgery—a process that kept him out of action for just 24 games before he triumphantly returned against the New York Islanders on Dec. 3 and registered the first of 20 goals and 33 points heâ€d end up mustering over 52 regular-season games.

Laineâ€s performance in the playoffs then left much to be desired, and ultimately left him scratched from three of five games the Canadiens played against the Washington Capitals.

The former second-overall pick said after the series that heâ€d suffered a broken finger, and he also said he was looking forward to getting back to full health and committing to a summer of training that would return him to his once-prolific self.

Laine remained in Montreal for most of it. He spent his days skating and training with several other Canadiens at the teamâ€s south-shore practice facility, which was in sharp contrast to the summer before, when he was rehabbing from shoulder surgery following the completion of his time in the Players†Assistance Program and had only been on the ice three times before arriving in Montreal.

St. Louis was encouraged by the playerâ€s commitment.

“With the amount of work heâ€s put in this summer, we might see the best version of Patty Laine,” he said after the team held its first day of on-ice activity in training camp.

Earlier in the month, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes told Sportsnet that he felt the messages heâ€d left Laine with during their April exit meeting — and during another summer meeting — were embraced by the player.

“Patrikâ€s an incredibly skilled and talented hockey player. Weâ€ve all seen that from him,†Hughes said in this interview. “I said to him, ‘Hey, letâ€s think about the areas of your game that you need to improve for you to play to more regularly.â€

“I think in Patrikâ€s case, the answers are so obvious. I firmly believe if heâ€s able to make those changes to his game, heâ€s going to have a much better season. And I think heâ€s 100 per cent on board.â€

Perhaps Laine wasnâ€t displaying that notorious skill and talent quite as much through the first five games of the season, but he was displaying much more commitment to the ordinary actions St. Louis demands of all his players at five-on-five.

Granted, Laine was playing between 10 and 14 minutes, which was the same type of ice-time he was getting towards the end of last season.Â

But Laine was building up trust to earn more.

Now thereâ€s no telling if he will have that opportunity again with the Canadiens. His latest possible return, if all goes to plan in his recovery from this most recent surgery, would be in the final week of February, and itâ€s hard to predict what the Canadiens will need at that point.

If they remain fully healthy — and thatâ€s a big if — Laine could have a hard time getting back into their lineup. And the Canadiens potentially adding more forwards before the March 6th trade deadline would only make a stiff competition for ice-time up front stiffer.

Itâ€s also possible Laine will be traded between now and then. His status as a pending unrestricted free agent made that a possibility even before this injury occurred.

Now that Laine has suffered it, heâ€s facing another long recovery, leaving his opportunity to prove his September declaration twisting in the wind.

Itâ€s unfortunate news for the Canadiens, who could use Laine at his best.

But itâ€s particularly bad news for the player, who wanted to show he could quickly redeem his status as an impact player in Montreal.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:Today we jump back 15 years to the Oct. 20, 2010 episode of the PWTorch Livecast featuring PWTorch editor Wade Keller and cohost Pat McNeill, they discussed the controversy erupting over the “Stand Up For WWE” campaign as it relates to Linda McMahon’s political campaign. Also, live calls on Jeff Hardy’s heel turn, Paul Heyman’s goals for TNA, R-Truth’s absence this week, Tough Enough’s format, Bischoff’s comments on ROH and Bret’s comments on Bischoff, MVP’s push, the Jeff Jarrett-Kurt Angle relationship, potential for Sunday’s Daniel Bryan-Dolph Ziggler match, Hornswoggle’s character, and more.

In the previously VIP-exclusive Aftershow, the McNeill Live Event center, Listener Email Questions on Tito Santana and a WWE continuity editor, plus the Briscoes, Kaval, and more.

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