(Québec) Did Max Pacioretty say aloud what everyone thinks quietly at the Vegas Golden Knights? Or were his words simply misinterpreted?
Posted yesterday at 9:15 p.m.
Difficult to position for the moment. The statements of number 67, traded a few weeks ago to the Carolina Hurricanes, nevertheless had a certain effect on three ex-teammates.
Crusaders on the sidelines of the Pro-Am Gagné-Bergeron, a charity event held Tuesday at the Videotron Center in Quebec City, Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault and Marc-André Fleury spoke about an explosive exit from their ex-teammate.
Context: July 28, in an interview with Chris Nilan and Tim Stapleton, from the podcast Raw Knucklesthe former captain of the Canadiens said he was sorry for the lack of “accountability” within the organization in Vegas.
Conceding that the pressure had not always been easy to manage during his 10 seasons spent in Montreal, Pacioretty admitted to having taken great “pride” from having taken on himself, in public, the responsibility for the bad passages of the CH. When he was traded to the Golden Knights, just before the 2018-2019 season, he says he initially experienced relief, but quickly found the lack of accountability in the club’s environment “weird”.
I don’t mean between players. But we didn’t feel the pressure coming from anyone else, be it the coaches, the management… I could have a bad game and everyone would say hello to me with a smile the next day at the arena.
Max Pacioretty
Fans and media alike seemed unfazed by the Knights’ harrowing 2021-22 season — they missed the playoffs for the first time in their young history.
“I’m not saying I wanted it to be like Montreal, but in Montreal, for a year like that, half the city would have been on fire,” he continues. There, we show up at the arena, it’s 27 ohC, we wash our cars, we go buy our organic food, we play golf… We have to change that. »
And to conclude: “I never thought I would feel like that. »
lost chemistry
Marc-André Fleury has proven that silence sometimes speaks louder than words.
Invited to comment on Pacioretty’s theory, the goalkeeper displayed the wide smile that characterizes him. Obviously trying to avoid putting his foot in the dish, he first recalled that it must have been “difficult” for the Knights, as for Pacioretty, to miss the playoffs. It must be said that Fleury only followed the situation from afar: even though he was one of the biggest stars in the organization and had just won the Vézina trophy, he was traded last summer. to the Chicago Blackhawks for further compensation – he now plays with the Minnesota Wild.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Marc-Andre Fleury
Pacioretty has just experienced a similar fate: although he has been one of his club’s leading scorers for four years, he is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. He, too, was only worth subsequent compensations in return—might as well say: nothing.
Fleury went on to point out that when he played in Vegas, he “wanted to win every night, whether it was Tuesday or Thursday, at the beginning of the year or at the end of the year.”
On the difficult management of the team, he recalled that in the inaugural season of the Knights, “we did not have the biggest names, but the chemistry was really good”.
Since then, “it seems like every season they let three or four guys go and bring in more.” More “big names”, which caused the chemistry of the first year to “wear off”. “It’s a bit sad,” he concluded.
” Misinterpreted ”
Current members of the Golden Knights, Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault meanwhile argued that Pacioretty’s comments had been “misinterpreted”.
The Press listened to the whole extract again. The tip to the staff of the organization couldn’t be clearer.
“I don’t need my general manager or my coach telling me they want to make the playoffs. I know we want to do them. I know what team we have,” replied Marchessault.
The leading scorer in the history of the Knights believes that it is rather the players who must take their destiny into their own hands.
If every player looks in the mirror and says they want to do the work necessary to be successful and help the team win every night, normally the team will be successful. That’s how I see it.
Jonathan Marchessault
Jack Eichel was less decided. He too believes that he and his teammates are responsible for the successes and failures of their team.
He nevertheless conceded that “sometimes when you play in a place like Vegas, where the weather is good all year round, you can lose track of the season”.
“It’s a different feeling when it’s cloudy and snowing,” he added.
Short of winning the Stanley Cup, there is always a way to do better.
Jack Eichel
Both forwards contacted Pacioretty after the interview aired. They say they remain on good terms with him, insisting on using his remarks out of context.
The fact remains that his statement has shaken at least two of his teammates enough to call him to put things right.
Ultimately, will Max Pacioretty have shaken up the Knights locker room more after his departure than during his reign? The answer will be defined on the ice next season.
Separately, the Hurricanes announced Tuesday night that Pacioretty would have to go under the knife to repair a torn Achilles tendon. He will be absent for six months.