Max Pacioretty is officially calling it a career after playing 17 seasons in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pacioretty announced his retirement after accepting a job with the University of Michigan ice hockey program. Pacioretty will serve as a special assistant to head coach Brandon Naurato at the school where he spent the 2007-08 season before turning pro.
“After 17 seasons in the NHL, I’m excited to begin this next chapter with Michigan Hockey,” Pacioretty said in a press release. “I’m so thankful for the teammates, coaches, and fans who have been a part of my journey. Hockey has given me so much, and now I have the opportunity to help develop the next generation of players.
“Michigan has a tradition of producing elite talent, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned to help these guys grow on and off the ice. Just as important, this next step allows me to be closer to my family and spend more time with my kids. I’m going to be coaching my four boys in youth hockey, and that’s something I’ll really cherish as a dad.”
For a time, Pacioretty was one of the top goal scorers in the NHL, scoring at least 30 goals in a season six times.
Pacioretty played for a decade with the Canadiens, the team that drafted him 22nd overall in the 2007 NHL Draft, before being dealt to the Golden Knights in 2018. He then spent four years in Vegas before injuries took their toll, causing him to bounce around three teams, including the Capitals, for the final three seasons of his career.
During his time with Washington, Pacioretty became one of 122 different Capitals players to assist on an Alex Ovechkin goal en route to the Caps captain becoming the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer.
When the veteran winger joined the Capitals, he was returning from two consecutive Achilles tendon surgeries. Pacioretty played 47 games for the Capitals during the 2023-24 campaign, recording 23 points (4g, 19a). He then signed a tryout agreement with the Maple Leafs the following season, eventually inking a one-year contract with the club.
Overall in his 939-game NHL career, Pacioretty recorded 681 points (335g, 346a). He was named an All-Star once during the 2020 season and was the winner of the 2012 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
