On June 30th, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo made an announcement that shocked the hockey world. After a season plagued by injuries, he’d be stepping away from the game to prioritize his recovery.
On Monday, he met with the media for the first time since making that announcement.
“First and foremost, being able to be a dad and being able to do the things I want to do as a dad is very important to me,” Pietrangelo began. “And we have a phenomenal team here. The rehab process has been great, and I’ve been able to be the husband and the dad that I want to be. Last year, it was very difficult to do those things. So, that’s been very refreshing.”
From the outside, it looked like Pietrangelo’s injury came out of nowhere. But on Monday, the future Hall of Fame defenseman revealed that there was more to it than that.
“It probably started a long time ago, but last year was when it really took a toll on me,” said Pietrangelo. “By the time it really started to get to me last year, to try and address it, it would have cut the whole year off for me. And when you have a roster like we did, and you have an opportunity to win, that’s a hard thing to give up.”
Pietrangelo attested that at this point, surgery isn’t on his radar.
“Not yet– I’m going to continue trying to rehab it,” he said. “You consult with doctors, and you have to look at the outcome and see if there’s going to be a guaranteed outcome. I met with a lot of different people and spoke to different players who have been through something similar. The rehab process is the way I want to do it right now. And it’s been making a huge difference– I feel a lot better.”
Pietrangelo’s injury didn’t just affect his playing– it also seeped into his personal life.
“I’m continuing to rehab,” he said. “The process has been good so far… Being off the ice, for now, has been very helpful. The rehab program we’ve put in place has made my daily life a lot better. Last year was not ideal, and very difficult.”
Anyone who has played sports knows the importance of community. For Pietrangelo, staying around that community has been a huge part of his recovery.
“The hardest thing is not being around a locker room when you’ve been around it for as long as I have. It’s been since I was seven years old. Having that rehab process and being here has been really good.
“I think that’s important, for me, to still be here,” said Pietrangelo. “Mentally, it’s great, because I love being part of a locker room… You get to get together with the guys. It’s been really, really fun for me to be able to come here and still see everybody and still be a part of the group.”
Pietrangelo doesn’t just want to be around the locker room– he’s also willing to offer advice to younger players.
“I’m trying to help the guys too,” Pietrangelo continued. “We’ve got a lot of young guys, whether they’re in juniors or in Henderson or up here. Hopefully, I can be a good sounding board for them.”
Now, Pietrangelo is able to reflect on all his accomplishments. His biggest? Getting a picture of his children with the Stanley Cup he won with the Golden Knights.
“I think the one thing that I’m most proud of is, when I came here, my goal was to win the Cup. After having won one in St. Louis, I had Julia, and she hadn’t had an opportunity to be part of that. I got all four of my kids to be able to sit in the Stanley Cup when they were babies. I have a picture of that, and that is the coolest thing in the world that not many people can say.”
Despite looking back on his accomplishments, Pietrangelo didn’t rule out the possibility of a future return to hockey.
“Nothing’s really concrete,” he said. “I’m just going to continue to take it day by day and go through my process and see where it goes.”