'It was a big summer to put in the work' for Pezzetta

MONTREAL -- Michael Pezzetta made his NHL debut last season.

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The 24-year-old winger quickly became a fan favorite with his work ethic and physicality.
Pezzetta ranked second on the roster with 156 hits in 51 appearances, and registered 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) along the way.
We recently caught up with the Toronto native to learn more about his summer.
Here are some highlights from our conversation with Pezz:
Pezzetta on his offseason mindset after experiencing the NHL in 2021-22:
I got my foot in the door. I played 51 games with the Canadiens. Now it's like, 'Where do you want to go from here? Do you want that to be your legacy, or do you want to continue building your game and building who you are in the NHL?' For me, every offseason is the biggest offseason of my life. I signed a one-way contract in July, but that doesn't do me any good if I'm complacent all summer. It was a big summer to put in the work and make sure that I could try and solidify myself in the NHL and really for the rest of my life.

Pezzetta on the countdown to training camp:
I'm really looking forward to competing again. The summer's always fun, and you spend a lot of time working on yourself, but there's nothing quite like coming to camp and trying to earn your spot and really competing against other guys. I'm a competitor and I like to play physical, so it's nice to get those things going again. It'll definitely be a fun training camp. We've got a lot of forwards and a lot of players right now, so it's going to be competitive and exciting. I've just been getting ready for that.

Pezzetta on his training over the summer:
I've been training at a gym in Etobicoke and skating with guys like Barrett Hayton (Arizona), Jeff Skinner (Buffalo), Taylor Hall (Boston), Andrew Mangiapane (Calgary), Sam Bennett (Florida), and Jamie Oleksiak (Seattle). I also have a shooting pad in the backyard that I've been using for six or seven years. I like spending time out there. It's good to break things up with some off-ice stickhandling and shooting. It's like my happy place. I can go outside and just be in my own head and practice. It has really helped my game a lot.

Pezzetta on his memorable trip overseas with his girlfriend, Mireille:
It was unbelievable. That was my first time really traveling through Europe. We did a week in France and then two weeks in Italy. It was just incredible. It's so beautiful there. We had great food and saw some great history. You can't really put it into words. I was happy we were able to do that together. Cinque Terre was one of my favorite spots. It's probably the most beautiful place I'd ever been for that kind of vibe. I've been to Iceland in the past, too. That was another level, but it was kind of a different trip. In terms of Italy, though, Cinque Terre was the coolest place.

Pezzetta on the importance of a strong support system:
It's nice to have someone like Mireille. Any adventure that I want to go on, she's down to be there with me. She never shies away from anything, whether we're hiking in Alberta or traveling around Italy. We push each other, so it's a good dynamic. When someone can be there for you, it helps a lot. I have a lot of support from her and my family. To have all those people behind me, to be able to call them, talk to them, and know they're watching my games every single night, it means a lot. Talking to Mireille when I'm in Montreal during the season is huge, and I talk to my brother, Stefano, too. I appreciate that support line. If I'm ever down, I know I can go to all of them.