Sports

New Canaan's Pacioretty Joins US Olympic Hockey Team

New Canaan native Max Pacioretty is headed to the Sochi Olympics in Russia after he was named to the United States Hockey Team this past week.

The 25-year-old Pacioretty, 6' 2", 219 lb., played freshman year at New Canaan High School before transferring to The Taft School in Watertown. He was drafted in 2007 to the Montreal Canadiens and has played with the team ever since.

In his 2011-12 season with the Canadiens, he was the team's points leader with a career high 33 goals and 32 assists. On the current season, he has 19 goals and 7 assists. In 2012, he attended the Ice Hockey World Championships, finishing with two goals and 10 assists.

Pacioretty suffered a vertebra fracture and concussion after a controversial and particularly brutal hit during a March 2011 game. He was able to return in time for the following season to post his record career highs.

It will be Pacioretty's first appearance on the Olympics team, and his appearance will be the first for members of the Montreal Canadiens.

"It’s obviously such an honour, especially when you see some of the guys who didn’t make the team. It could have gone either way. I've played pretty well of late, but my game is even better than I’ve shown so far this year," Pacioretty said in an interview with the Montreal Gazette.



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