Max Pacioretty

Lore & Background

Pacioretty played youth hockey in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the New York Rangers minor team. He attended New Canaan High School, where he led the state in points as a freshman, then moved to The Taft School. He played one season of junior hockey with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL in 2006–07 before being drafted. He spent the 2007–08 season at the University of Michigan, recording 15 goals and 38 points in 36 games.

Pacioretty made his NHL debut on January 2, 2009, scoring his first goal on his first shot in a 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils, becoming the first player in Montreal history to wear sweater number 67. In March 2011, he suffered a fractured fourth cervical vertebra and a grade 2 concussion after a hit by Boston's Zdeno Chára; the NHL issued no further punishment beyond a five-minute major and game misconduct, and the Montreal Police Service announced a criminal investigation. Pacioretty later said he forgave Chára. He won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2011–12 after a career-high 33-goal, 65-point season.

Traded to the Vegas Golden Knights before the 2018–19 season, Pacioretty signed a four-year, $28 million extension and scored 97 goals over four seasons. In July 2022, salary cap complications led the Golden Knights to trade him to the Carolina Hurricanes. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon during an offseason workout, then a second Achilles tear after only five games with Carolina, ending his season. He later played single seasons for the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring in 2025.

Reader's Guide

Pacioretty's career is notable for his goal-scoring consistency, particularly during his tenure with the Montreal Canadiens, where he scored 30 or more goals in five seasons and served as captain for three years. His time in Montreal included a serious neck injury from a controversial hit that sparked a criminal investigation and a league sponsorship threat, yet he returned to win the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. After being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, his production continued, but salary cap issues forced another trade to the Carolina Hurricanes. His tenure in Carolina was limited to five games due to two Achilles tendon tears, effectively ending his time with the team. He later played one season each for the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring. Pacioretty's career illustrates the impact of both on-ice performance and off-ice factors such as injuries and team salary management on a player's trajectory.

Did You Know?

• Pacioretty scored his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot in his debut game on January 2, 2009.
• He was the first player in Montreal Canadiens history to wear sweater number 67.
• In February 2014, he became the first Canadien to receive two penalty shots in the same game, and the second player in NHL history to receive two in the same period.
• He rejected a trade to the Los Angeles Kings during the 2018 NHL entry draft before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights.