Max Pacioretty

Maximillian Kolenda Pacioretty (born November 20, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).

As a youth, Pacioretty played in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the New York Rangers minor ice hockey team.

Pacioretty played high school hockey at New Canaan High School in which he led the state in points during his freshman year, and then moved on to The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut.

Pacioretty then played junior hockey for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for one season in 2006–07.

Pacioretty was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens; he would go on to captain them for his last three seasons with Montreal and score 30 or more goals in five of the seasons with Montreal.

Following the campaign, Pacioretty was selected in the first round, 22nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft; the pick had been previously acquired by the Canadiens in a trade with the San Jose Sharks.

He spent the 2007–08 season with the University of Michigan, recording 15 goals and 38 points in 36 games.

On July 17, 2008, Pacioretty signed a three-year, entry level contract with the Canadiens.

Pacioretty made his NHL debut with the Canadiens on January 2, 2009, scoring his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot in a 4–1 loss against the New Jersey Devils.

Upon his debut, he also became the first player in Montreal's lengthy franchise history to wear jersey number 67.

After starting the 2010–11 season playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), the Canadiens' top minor league affiliate, Pacioretty was recalled for the second time to the NHL on December 12, 2010.

On March 8, 2011, Pacioretty suffered an injury following a hit by Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chára.

The force and location of the hit resulted in Pacioretty colliding with the stanchion at the end of the bench.

He was taken off the ice on a stretcher after lying motionless on the ice for several minutes.

The extent of the injury was revealed the next day to be a fracture to the 4th cervical vertebra (C4) and a grade 2 concussion.

One Bruin, Mark Recchi, questioned the severity of the concussion during an interview stating that Pacioretty was at a movie theater four days after the incident.

For delivering the hit, Chára received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, and after reviewing videotape of the play the NHL decided no further punishment was warranted.

However, a criminal investigation was announced by the Montreal Police Service.

Additionally, Air Canada threatened to remove its League sponsorship if the NHL did not take any action to prevent further violence on ice.

Pacioretty recovered in time to start the 2011–12 season with the Canadiens.

For Pacioretty's part, he could not remember the incident, but after seeing the tape said that he was "disgusted" that there was no fine or suspension.

About two months later, he said that he thought Chára regretted his actions and that he forgave him.

Returning to action during the 2011–12 season, Pacioretty would end the year as the team's points leader, finishing with a career-high 33 goals and 32 assists in 79 games, also winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for "perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."

He recorded his first career hat-trick on February 9, 2012, against the New York Islanders.

On August 12, 2012, Pacioretty signed a six-year, $27 million contract extension with the Canadiens.

In September 2012, as a result of the impending labor lockout, he signed a contract to play overseas with Swiss National League A team HC Ambrì-Piotta.

These were his second and third NHL career penalty shots, the first occurring earlier in the season on October 12, 2013, coincidentally also against the Canucks and Luongo.

Pacioretty missed all three penalty shots, but nonetheless still scored a hat trick in the February 6 game.

On February 6, 2014, Pacioretty became the first Canadien to have two penalty shots awarded in the same game, against the Vancouver Canucks and goaltender Roberto Luongo, also becoming just the second player in NHL history to be awarded two penalty shots in the same period.

On September 15, 2014, Pacioretty was named an alternate captain of the Canadiens along with P. K. Subban, Tomáš Plekanec and Andrei Markov.

On September 18, 2015, Pacioretty was voted by the team to become the 29th captain in Canadiens history after going without a captain in the 2014–15 season with the departure of Brian Gionta.

The 2017–18 season was disappointing for the Canadiens, who finished 28th overall in the NHL standings.

After four-straight 60+ point seasons, Pacioretty recorded only 37 total points over the season.

He was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights before the 2018–19 NHL season; although the move revitalized his career, he was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes four seasons later due to the Golden Knights' salary cap complications.

On March 2, 2018, Pacioretty left a game against the New York Islanders due to an injury, and a few days later it was announced that Pacioretty suffered a knee injury and was set to be out for four to six weeks.

The summer prior to his contract ending, there was speculation the Canadiens were intending to trade Pacioretty.

There was a trade in place to send Pacioretty to the Los Angeles Kings during the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, but Pacioretty rejected the trade.

He subsequently switched agents.

Pacioretty confirmed in late August that he hadn't engaged in extensions talks with the club, signaling that the final year of his contract could also be the final year of his tenure with the Canadiens.

On September 10, 2018, Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Tomáš Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a 2019 second round draft pick.