Former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty is joining the University of Michigan after 17 seasons in the NHL, the school announced on Tuesday.
He is joining Michigan’s program as special assistant to head coach Brandon Naurato.
“After 17 seasons in the NHL, I’m excited to begin this next chapter with Michigan Hockey,” Pacioretty said in a statement. “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.”
Pacioretty, 36, played last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, recording five goals and 13 points in 37 games. He added three goals and eight points in 11 playoff games before his team was eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second round.
The 6-foot-2 winger had been trying to work his way into a regular role after suffering tearing his Achilles tendon two separate times while a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Drafted 22nd overall by the Canadiens in 2007, Pacioretty has 335 goals and 681 points in 939 career games split between the Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and Maple Leafs.
He played 10 seasons in Montreal and captained the team for three campaigns. During Pacioretty’s tenure he had 226 goals and 448 points in 626 games and helped the team to two Eastern Conference Final in 2009 and 2014.
“Bringing in a guy like Max is huge for us,” Naurato said. “He’s been through it all in the NHL and knows what it takes to play and lead at the highest level. Our players are going to learn a ton from the way he sees the game, how he prepares and how he carries himself.
“It’s exciting to have that kind of experience around every day. Having an alum like Max back around the program reminds our players that they’re part of something bigger, and that’s the Michigan Hockey legacy.”
Pacioretty won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2012 as the player who most represented perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey after he was able to recover from a concussion and fractured vertebra due to a controversial hit from Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara the year prior.
The New Canaan, Conn., native represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, recording an assist in a fourth-place effort. He also recorded two goals and 12 points at the 2012 World Championship in a seventh place finish and was a member of his nation’s squad at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.