Max Pacioretty has many roles as special assistant to the head coach for the Michigan hockey team.<\/p>\n
This week, that includes playing tour guide for the Wolverines.<\/p>\n
The former Golden Knights<\/a> winger is back in Las Vegas for the Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena. Michigan (31-7-1) takes on Denver (27-11-3) in the national semifinals Thursday an hour after the conclusion of the first semifinal between North Dakota (29-9-1) and Wisconsin (23-12-2), which begins at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely been nice to not have that transition period and jump right into coaching and have it be organic,\u201d Pacioretty said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a lot of fun. You see a whole different side of things now, which has been eye opening but also been really positive. I\u2019ve enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacioretty was part of the first blockbuster trade the Knights made<\/a>, arriving in 2018 from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forwards Nick Suzuki and Tomas Tatar along with a second-round pick.<\/p>\n The trade worked out for both sides<\/a>. In four seasons with the Knights, Pacioretty produced 97 goals and 97 assists in 224 games and was elected to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.<\/p>\n He also performed well in the playoffs with 15 goals and 15 assists in 36 games, helping the Knights reach the semifinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2020 and 2021.<\/p>\n But injuries derailed Pacioretty during his time with the Knights, as he played a full season just once. He was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> in 2022 for future considerations to create salary cap space and suffered a torn Achilles during the offseason.<\/p>\n \u201cNow that you\u2019re on the other side, you realize nothing is personal,\u201d Pacioretty said. \u201cThey\u2019ve made a lot of difficult decisions since they\u2019ve been around, but they\u2019ve got a Stanley Cup to show for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacioretty returned five months later and tore the same Achilles. He underwent a third surgery on his Achilles in 2023 and was forced to retire following the 2024-25 season.<\/p>\n In 17 seasons with the Canadiens, Knights, Hurricanes, Capitals and Maple Leafs, Pacioretty had 335 goals and 346 assists in 939 games played.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason why I did come back and even play in Toronto was I wanted to go out on my own terms,\u201d Pacioretty said. \u201cBeing able to do that in front of my kids and them seeing me be basically in bed for over a year not being able to walk and then be able to come back and play in the highest league in the world I think that hopefully will have a long impact on them, seeing us able to overcome that as a family.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacioretty was a college teammate of Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato and trained at his alma mater the past two summers as he worked his way back to the NHL.<\/p>\n After he retired, Pacioretty permanently relocated to the Ann Arbor, Michigan area and continued to show up at Michigan\u2019s practices. The school announced his hiring Sept. 30, four days before the season opener.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously he\u2019s got a ton of experience and knowledge playing in the NHL, being a captain of an Original Six team,\u201d Naurato said. \u201cBut at lunch he\u2019s sitting with the guys, not with the coaches. Just spending time with them more as people than as hockey players, which has been really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacioretty\u2019s role includes \u201ca little bit of everything,\u201d he said. He helps with prescouts and offers input to Naurato on the Wolverines\u2019 power play, which is ranked No. 1 in the country at 31.6 percent.<\/p>\n Pacioretty also serves as a mentor for Michigan\u2019s talented roster, which includes 13 NHL draft picks and a handful more who will play pro hockey.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been really special to have somebody like that around our facility, around our locker room,\u201d senior forward Josh Eernisse said. \u201cBetween his own experiences and what he\u2019s seen through other guys and the guys that he\u2019s played with, there\u2019s a lot of knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n Michigan returned to the Frozen Four after it went 18-15-3 last season and missed the NCAA Tournament. The top-seeded Wolverines are led by senior forward T.J. <\/a>Hughes<\/a>, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation\u2019s top college hockey player.<\/p>\n After Michigan defeated Minnesota-Duluth in the regional final, Pacioretty made sure the Wolverines secured practice time at City National Arena ahead of the Frozen Four.<\/p>\n Pacioretty returned to the Knights\u2019 practice facility Tuesday for the first time since he was traded and admitted it felt \u201cstrange.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s just so many great things and so many great people even around the rink that\u2019s nice to see,\u201d Pacioretty said. \u201cI really valued and enjoyed my time here, and it\u2019s nice to get back here and see some of the familiar faces.\u201d<\/p>\n Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com<\/a> or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Max Pacioretty has many roles as special assistant to the head coach for the Michigan hockey team. 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