Great Player, Better Man; McCrimmon Praises Pietrangelo

On Tuesday, Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon met with the media. He began by addressing Alex Pietrangelo, who announced that he’d be stepping away from hockey on Monday.

“The press release spoke to what his injuries are. What I want to speak about today is the man Alex Pietrangelo,” began McCrimmon. “I’ve never met a person like him… The leadership, care, and compassion for teammates, the unbelievable NHL career that he’s had, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion– we’re not a Stanley Cup Champion without Petro having been part of our organization. 

“And then some of the internal things that aren’t as easy to see for fans, [like] the impact he had on the people around him as a player, but also as a father and a husband,” continued McCrimmon. “He’s touched a lot of people in the organization. Those are things we hope will continue, carry on, and get passed down.”

McCrimmon acknowledged that stepping away wasn’t an easy decision. However, it was a necessary one.

“[Pietrangelo] wanted to give this some thought, if this was something he thought he could continue to do; he’s been advised that it isn’t,” said McCrimmon. “It’s unlikely that Pietrangelo will play again.”

McCrimmon finished by praising Pietrangelo’s character one last time.

“I wanted to talk about his impact on the organization and the respect that he had from our players, but also around the league,” McCrimmon finished. “He’s got a presence on the ice, he’s an alpha male, he’s upbeat, he’s loud. The respect he shows our trainers, our medical staff, those are things that make a great professional player and a really good human being.”

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