Pacioretty Skates In Charity Game
Added on Jul 14, 2011 by J Merrill in
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Last time we saw Max Pacioretty he was being carted off the ice on a stretcher after Zdeno Chara hit him from behind into a strachion. Pacioretty’s season was over and later it was announced that he had fractured a vertebra. The good news is that Pacioretty has had a recent breakthrough in a charity hockey game.
Pacioretty skated for an entire 60 minute game, and didn’t miss a shift. The “Big Assist” annual hockey game benefits the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation, which works to improve the quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries and diseases. Pacioretty skated on a line with Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis and Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders, and he didn’t miss a shift. Pacioretty ended the game with two assists and a goal. The big question is, How did it go on the ice?
Pacioretty said of the game, “It felt, I don’t know, I guess it just felt weird, It was weird at first, but as the game went on I think I felt a little more comfortable, and I’m looking forward now to gaining some momentum off of that.” Pacioretty said he had been skating for a few months, but he took a lot of time off before hitting the ice again. Pacioretty continued “I had a lot of time off since my injury, and now I’m just working on putting on muscle and trying to get as big and as fast as possible. I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far and I hope to keep doing that through August.”
Max was a fan favorite on the ice, and he said that meant a lot to him. This was as competitive as he has been since the injury. He said “It’s good to see so many people care about hockey in the area, and my experience in particular. It’s the one positive I can get out of my experience, that a lot of people have shown me great support and have stuck with me through the situation.”
For now Pacioretty is putting the injury behind him, and is trying to stay positive on his road to recovery. He said “The past is the past, and I can dwell on it as much as I want, but that will do me no good. So I’m going to do everything I can to work toward the future and get ready for next year.”
