After the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Max Pacioretty discussed the Leafs falling short in Game 7, his experience of playing with and watching Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner up close, the pressure of the Toronto market, and his uncertain future in the game.
How disappointed are you with how the season finished?
Pacioretty: I certainly came here to try to win the ultimate prize. It is one game that gets you to move on, but I am clearly not satisfied with that game at all. That part is very disappointing. You live and you learn. I am thankful that I got an opportunity to chase my dream.
What do you think the group will learn from Game 7?
Pacioretty: All these learning experiences I have been through have built me into the person I am today. Certainly, when I look back on my career, it was never perfect. The adversity is definitely what builds you into the person you aspire to be and the player you aspire to be.
All of this adversity and all of these situations that these players have been through and are going through are ultimately going to build them into champions, hopefully.
Have you contemplated what is next for you? Do you want to keep playing?
Pacioretty: This year was very difficult for me, being away from my family. I am very excited to just get home, be with them, and talk to them about what is next in life.
In terms of playing, it is difficult to answer right now.
There has been a lot of talk about the pressure of playing in this market with the fans and media. You have played in several markets. How would you compare the pressure here to the others you’ve played in?
Pacioretty: I love it. It is a privilege to play under pressure. You probably don’t realize that when you are in it or are younger, but it is a privilege to have this many people care about how we do. I certainly never felt this way early on in my career, but it kind of builds winners and turns you into men. It helps you achieve who you are ultimately trying to become.
I know I am not in the spotlight here and wasn’t this year by any means, so it is a bit of cherry-picking for me to answer it this way. However, I have been there before. I don’t have regrets about how I have handled it in the past, but I do know that the adversity and going through that amount of pressure built me into the player and person I am today, and I am thankful for it.
The Panthers made it seem like the pressure was something they were able to exploit against your team. Do you think there is anything to it?
Pacioretty: Everyone can say whatever they want and have their own opinions as to how or why we lost, but at the same time, you can use it against someone, or you can use it to your advantage, right? I guess I am a glass-half-full guy at this stage of my life. I see that there are ways to use it to your advantage.
After your experiences in Montreal, how do you view what Mitch Marner goes through in Toronto?
Pacioretty: I was never as good as him, but teams are always dreaming of having a Mitch Marner on their roster. I don’t hear all of it, but it is certainly impossible to completely avoid the noise out there. If he weren’t a great player, there wouldn’t be as much noise.
I certainly didn’t realize when I came here how much he cares about his play all over the ice. He is a two-way player. Oftentimes, it is unfortunate that you are only judged on one thing. I’ll use the example of the team we just played. No one was lighting it up. Guys were playing 200-foot games, and that is a recipe for success.
It is a bit of a tug of war of wanting people to take over series and games in the playoffs offensively. To do so, you can’t neglect your own end of the ice. That is how teams win: by playing in all three zones. Mitchy certainly takes care of business in all three zones.
As a Maple Leaf and as an American, what did you think of how Auston Matthews handled the captaincy this season?
Pacioretty: He was great. It is a long year for him with the 4 Nations, how much hockey he has played, and how much work he has put in to specialize and work on his craft.
I haven’t talked to him about this, but I think he is due for a vacation with how much hockey he has played and how hard he has worked. It is another guy who doesn’t neglect his end of the ice to try to create. No matter what the narrative is out there and what the expectations are, he is always trying to play winning hockey.
I watched him on the break when I was sitting on the couch resting. I watched him grind it out against the world’s best players. I have a whole new appreciation of superstardom — if that is a word — after watching these guys go about their business day in and day out.
There are no shortcuts to being a superstar, right? These guys put in the work every single day. They care just as much, if not more, than anyone I have played with. I will forever remember that.
Do you have any theories why this group of players, especially at the high end, has been able to get through in clinching games? They scored one goal the other night and one goal in so many Game 7s.
Pacioretty: I haven’t gone through it to that level, but I will say, from my own experience, it is just like anything else in life. You have to learn and go through adversity sometimes. Great things don’t always come easily. In fact, they never come easily.
You look at all of these scenarios of people having to fail so many times in their careers. No one talks about how many times Michael Jordan failed until he won all of these championships. I don’t see anything different from this group.
From a personal standpoint, I wouldn’t be standing here today if it weren’t for the adversity I have gone through. That is not to say that just going through adversity means you are automatically going to win one day, but I am sure once this group breaks through and wins a huge series or has a breakthrough moment, they are going to look back on it and say they are happy they went through those struggles. It is going to make us a stronger group and stronger as individuals.
What was the nature of your mid-season injury, and what does it say about you that you were able to come back in the playoffs?
Pacioretty: Right from day one, and maybe to a personal fault, I knew I was here for the playoffs. This team won the division. The regular season has never been something this team has had to worry about in the past. I knew that coming in. How can I be at my best in the playoffs and still contribute and find myself a part of the group in the regular season?
That was a little bit of a struggle because I wanted to play playoff hockey, as does everyone, but right from October, maybe I missed out on a few opportunities offensively here and there — opportunities to maybe solidify myself in the lineup. I went through those injuries. The team was really, really hot going into the playoffs, so I kind of found myself on the outside looking in.
I have made so many points about the staff here. I have never seen anything like it. I know a lot of people say that, but there is nothing like being a Maple Leaf in terms of all of the resources. I felt really good about my game coming into the playoffs. I know it wasn’t perfect in the first few games or so, but I had the resources here to feel like I could really contribute when I came in. I am definitely thankful for all of the help I got in that department.
