Pietrangelo Releases Emotional Statement After Being Forced Into Retirement
Photo credit: Vegas Golden Knights
Kelly McCrimmon and Alex Pietrangelo made a sad announcement today, revealing that the two-time Stanley Cup champion is officially retiring from his playing career in the NHL.
Alex Pietrangelo was one of the best defensemen of his generation.
The 35-year-old appeared in over 1000 regular season NHL games, recording 148 goals and 637 points in the process.
He won Stanley Cups with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.
He also won Gold with Team Canada at the U20 World Junior Championship, the winter Olympics, and the World Cup of Hockey, among other major career accomplishments.
But sadly, father time is undefeated, and it appears as though 17 years of professional hockey have worn down hos body to the point where he simply cannot play anymore.
This is what he told fans in his statement this evening, effectively announcing his retirement from the NHL.
"The past few weeks have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health. After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, its been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life.
This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The Likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family."
This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The Likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family."
While this news is certainly sad and hard to hear for Knights fans, at least they can celebrate the fact that the team added Mitch Marner in a huge trade earlier today.
Marner certainly can't replace Pietrangelo, especially since he's a forward, but in terms of his on-ice impact, he will play a huge role for the team, hopefully helping them win another Stanley Cup next season.
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