The decision was hardly made on a whim by Pacioretty, who, after taking part in his second development camp with the Canadiens, felt adequately prepared to leave the NCAA ranks behind and make the big jump forward.
"When he gave me his reasoning, it was so mature and so well thought out. It wasn't an emotional decision or a spur of the moment decision. He'd had a fabulous year under [former University of Michigan head coach] Red Berenson, and he really felt he needed to make the move. He was so eloquent. It was something he really wanted," explained Ana, who quickly realized that her son had his heart set on taking his talents to the next level after securing CCHA Rookie of the Year honors and helping the Wolverines reach the 2008 Frozen Four. "He was so articulate that I really thought, 'This is the right thing and we had to let the chips fall where they may.'"
Everything ultimately panned out, of course, but it didn't come easily. After departing Ann Arbor, Pacioretty spent the ensuing three seasons being shuttled between the Canadiens and the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, before finally securing full-time NHL status for good in 2011-12 - when he registered the first of five 30-goal and 60-plus point campaigns to date.
In retrospect, Ana believes that time Max spent developing in the minors did her son an immeasurable amount of good in the long run.
"I think that's partly where he really got more of his growth, in the AHL. I'm a big believer that you value things a lot more when they aren't handed to you. He had to struggle, work hard, and really earn his spot," she stressed. "During that time, I kept flashing back to all those years Ray was taking him to practices and games, and making sure that he had the right coaches and was developing the right way both physically and mentally. Now, it was up to Max to make the transition on his own. It was a good feeling to see him come through. I think the AHL was a fabulous experience for him."