Alex Pietrangelo announced on Monday that he will be stepping away from the Vegas Golden Knights for health reasons.
“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. “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.”
On Tuesday, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said, “For me, it’s unlikely that he’ll play again.”
The 35-year-old defenseman had 33 points (four goals, 29 assists) in 71 regular-season games for the Golden Knights this season, and six points (two goals, four assists) in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“Alex has our organization’s full support in prioritizing his long-term health and quality of life,” McCrimmon said. “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. Our hope in February during the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off was to give Alex treatment and rest to help provide relief, but instead what we found were diminished positive results and a process that is no longer sustainable moving forward."
