ESNY

Today the Montreal Canadiens have announced Max Pacioretty team captain. This comes as no surprise, as Pacioretty has become a fan favorite.

By Jay Travers

No matter what team you play for being named captain is one of the greatest accomplishments you can achieve. And for Max Pacioretty, he has achieved that storied position.

NHL.com is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens have named Pacioretty team captain, which comes as no surprise. Pacioretty is a hard working player and a fan favorite. But most of all, he’s a leader.

Pacioretty told reporters, “I just can’t believe that I’ll be put in the same category as the people before me. I really am honored, and that’s what is the most shocking part about this for me; that I don’t believe I belong in the same sentence as any of those 28 other captains.”

But it seems that he struck a good note with Canadiens fans, as he made a statement, all in French, about how honored he was to be captain of one of the most legendary teams in the NHL. The past two captains, Saku Koivu and Brian Gionta didn’t come out and do that. I’m not saying they were bad leaders at all, but Pacioretty seemed to tug on the heart strings of fans across Canada.

“This is my home now; me and my family take it very seriously. We call Montreal home and this is a big part of the culture. We understand that. So I’ve been getting classes for a year, and this should motivate me and my family to do even more. I hope to do so. I don’t think I’m going to be perfect overnight, but I’m going to do the best I can.”

Something else to note, this didn’t come down to management. GM Marc Bergevin and head coach Michel Therrien made the decision to allow the captain to be voted by players in the locker room.

Bergevin said, “The majority voted for Max. I won’t go into details, but we didn’t need to count twice.”

Click Logo Above To Customize

Pacioretty had 67 points in 80 games last year and added seven in the playoffs. The left winger plays a solid game, and was recognized for his play. Pacioretty was invited to the 2014 Olympics tryout, and made it. He represented the United States, only tallying one assist, but that’s still no small feat.

It seemed to be an emotional interview today, with Pacioretty having to hold back tears. He kept looking straight ahead, and not looking down at the newly placed “C” on his sweater, saying, “”I don’t want to look down, because I don’t want to get too emotional.”

[su_button url=”https://elitesportsny.com/2015/09/18/subway-series-new-york-yankees-face-all-the-pressure/” target=”blank” background=”#000080″ size=”10″ wide=”yes” radius=”0″]The Subway Series Has The Yankees Feeling Pressure[/su_button]
I love watching sports, specifically teams in New York. I'll root for all New York teams, but the New York Rangers and hockey are my number one. I am an avid hockey fan and enjoy expressing my opinion on the Blueshirts, when they are playing good and bad.