Thursday, August 4, 2022. 2:55 PM
After four years in the Vegas Golden Knights uniform, the former captain of the Montreal Canadiens Max Pacioretty is able to see that even if life seems easier away from a traditional hockey market, it is not necessarily more stimulating.
The lack of pressure from the environment is too clear in Vegas, while in Montreal, this pressure came from everywhere.
Pacioretty, 33, shared his thoughts during his recent podcast stint Raw Knuckles with Chris Nilan and Tim Stapleton.
The veteran forward, who was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes along with Dylan Coghlan during the off-season, seems in hindsight to miss the motivating pressure he felt when he played in Montreal. “When I first came to Vegas, it was weird that there was, like, no accountability,” Pacioretty said. You couldn’t feel the pressure coming from anyone other than the coach and management. »
Prior to being traded to the gambling city, Pacioretty had played his entire career with the Canadiens, a stint spanning ten seasons, including three campaigns as captain, which raised huge expectations for him. As a result, the 2012 Bill Masterton Trophy winner needed to hold his higher level of play. Although it was exhausting at times, it was something that transcended him, transported him and made sure to focus on after arriving in Las Vegas.
“There was a relief when I got there. But then I was like, ‘I have to stick to a higher standard, which I’ve always done.’ But maybe I walked away from it when everyone held me accountable (in Montreal),” added Pacioretty.
The Golden Knights missed the playoffs last season for the first time in their existence and he could see that it was day and night between Vegas and Montreal where the city carries its bad mood for several weeks when the club is excluded from the spring dance. “I mentioned that at the end of the year, nobody really held us accountable. If we had a bad year like this, the city would be half on fire in Montreal. Here in Vegas, it’s like nothing happened. It’s 80 degrees and it’s sunny. We get our car washed and our organic food and go golfing. »
Pacioretty seems to have a hard time capturing the essence of Vegas. “I don’t want to say it was a country club, but you don’t have anyone outside holding you accountable. »
He wonders now who will take over. Who will become the leader the Golden Knights need? Pacioretty doesn’t know how a player who hasn’t known another environment will be able to instill in his teammates the attitude needed to take the club to another level. “A lot of these guys haven’t played anywhere else, so they don’t really know what it is. I’ve always been personally invested and it always brings out the best in me when my coach or someone else is demanding and holding me accountable. »