Golden Knights' Pietrangelo stepping away from hockey due to health reasons
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Alex Pietrangelo is stepping away from the Vegas Golden Knights due to ongoing health challenges, the veteran defenceman announced on Monday.
Pietrangelo, 35, has played 1,087 regular-season games and recorded 637 points across a 17-year career spent with the St. Louis Blues and Golden Knights.
“The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health,” Pietrangelo said in a press release. “After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s 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.”
The King City, Ont. native is a two-time Stanley Cup winner, coming in 2019 and 2022, and has played in 149 postseason games over the course of his career since being selected with the fourth overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Blues.
He joined the Golden Knights organization as a free agent ahead of the 2020-21 season, signing a seven-year, $61.6 million deal.
“Alex has our organization’s full support in prioritizing his long-term health and quality of life,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “Alex is dealing with hips that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success. Throughout the season, the steps that Alex needed to take to be able to play and practice began to grow and take a significant toll on his body.
"He is one of the most respected players in the league, not only for his elite talent but for his character, leadership, competitiveness, and professionalism. Today’s decision is a difficult one for both Alex and the Golden Knights, but it is being made for the right reasons – so that Alex can be the family man we all know him to be.”