Pacioretty nearing return from injury with Montreal looming
TORONTO — Max Pacioretty was never bothered by life in the spotlight.
Some of the questions he faced daily as captain of the Montreal Canadiens — especially when things weren’t going well — were another story.
Traded to the Vegas Golden Knights before the start of training camp, Pacioretty’s routine no longer includes a throng of cameras, microphones and notepads waiting for him at his locker.
There might be a couple after a game or practice, or perhaps none at all.
“Obviously the media is much different,” Pacioretty said following Monday’s on-ice session in Toronto. “Expectations are there in every organization.
“But in a Canadian market everybody knows you have to answer the questions about those expectations everyday.”
Set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and with his future in Montreal very much in doubt, Pacioretty signed a four-year contract extension with Vegas worth US$28 million through 2022-2023 the same day he was acquired for winger Tomas Tatar, forward prospect Nick Suzuki and a second-round draft pick.
“It’s a bit more realistic,” Pacioretty added of his relationship with reporters in the Nevada desert. “You don’t sit up front everyday and answer questions about how bad you are.”
Voted captain of the Habs by teammates in 2015, Pacioretty has been out of the Knights’ lineup with an upper-body injury since getting hurt Oct. 26. The 29-year-old winger took part in his first full-contact practice Monday and could face the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Vegas, which made it all the way to last season’s Stanley Cup final in a stunning expansion campaign, then travels to the nation’s capital Thursday to meet the Ottawa Senators before Pacioretty’s looming return to Montreal on Saturday.
Pacioretty scored 226 goals and added 222 assists in 626 games to go along with 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 38 playoff contests during his 10 seasons with the Canadiens.
Asked how many ticket requests he’s received for this weekend, Pacioretty joked his phone has been turned off “so I don’t have to max out my credit card.”
“People mentioned it was probably good to get it out of the way early,” he said of playing at the Bell Centre as a visitor.
“It’ll be fun to go back. Hopefully I play.”