First off - wish the pilot a full and speedy recovery.
What I don't quite get here is:
- a/c at 8000ft
- climbing, so deck angle tilted upwards (unless they were held level by ATC)
How does a laser beam get into the cockpit?
Only thing I can think of is through the side window. Could even have triggered the pilot in question to look out after seeing some strange light in peripheral vision.
In any case, this must have been an exceptionally powerful laser - let's hope whoever did this is caught asap and dealt with accordingly.