Max Pacioretty throws former teammates, coaches and management under the bus and is brutally honest about his time in Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights have found themselves in unfamiliar territory for the first time since joining the league in 2017-2018, missing the Stanley cup playoffs this past season. A star Golden Knights player who was recently traded for virtually nothing, Max Pacioretty, blames the lack of success on the culture behind closed doors.
Pacioretty recently joined Raw Knuckles Podcast with Chris Nilan and Tim Stapleton to talk about his time in Vegas - specifically this last season before he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes along with Dylan Cohglan for future considerations.
The 33-year old left winger claims there was a lack of accountability from the higher management, towards the players which effected the need to win every game. The 2020 all-star even went as far as saying:
"When I first got to Vegas, it was weird that there was like no accountability. And I'm not talking about in the team; I'm talking about like ever. You couldn't feel pressure coming off anyone else, from the coach to the management.
"If we had a bad year like this, the city would be half on fire in Montreal. Here in Vegas, it's 80 degrees and sunny, we're going to get our cars washed, getting our organic food and going to play golf. I was kind of like, 'we've got to police this thing a little better amongst each other.' I don't want to say it was a country club, but you have no one from the outside holding you accountable."
-Pacioretty on the very relaxed culture in Vegas
"If we had a bad year like this, the city would be half on fire in Montreal. Here in Vegas, it's 80 degrees and sunny, we're going to get our cars washed, getting our organic food and going to play golf. I was kind of like, 'we've got to police this thing a little better amongst each other.' I don't want to say it was a country club, but you have no one from the outside holding you accountable."
-Pacioretty on the very relaxed culture in Vegas
A little bit of a more relaxed culture is probably okay, but when there's absolutely no accountability whatsoever, something's gotta give. Granted the Golden Knights had dealt with some significant injuries this year, Pacioretty included, but that killer instinct and "next man up" mentality still has to be there.
Patches had a great season scoring 19 goals and amassing 18 assists for 37 points in, an injury-riddled 39 games, so he can't take the blame for the team's lack of integrity. He was one of the few who was going out and leaving it all out on the ice each and every game. It will be interesting to see what Vegas management, and GM Kelly McCrimmon in particular, has to say about this claim. If true, it's very alarming and not at all a good look for the management group and coaching staff.
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