After joining the Maple Leafs on a two-year contract, Michael Pezzetta discussed signing with his hometown team.
It is not exactly a roster full of chopped liver that you will be trying to make. It will be a battle for a spot. Can you talk about joining the team and the fight ahead for you to earn a job?
Pezzetta: I am super excited to sign in Toronto. It is a lifelong dream of mine.
They have a great hockey team, and for myself coming in, I just want to earn my roster spot and make sure I am ready to go at camp time. It is not just a given that I have a spot. I am going to make sure I do everything I can to earn that spot.
The style of game I play is different from a lot of the guys. Hopefully, that can be an X factor.
The public analytics show that you had strong defensive metrics last year. For those unfamiliar with your game, how would you describe it? What are you looking to build on as you join the Leafs?
Pezzetta: [The defensive game] is something I’ve always taken pride in. Last year was kind of a weird year, just being in and out of the lineup, and nothing really going my way. In the years prior, I was a pretty steady player, always kind of getting my 10-15 points in the 50 or so games that I played. I am pretty confident that I can continue to do that in terms of a points perspective.
A lot of my game is about being hard to play against, and being someone who is defensively responsible and the coach can trust. You can go out there and change the shift of a game with a big hit or a good forecheck, where you make a good play to change the energy — the energy in the room and on the bench.
Not every sixth-round draft pick has your resume of NHL experience. What do you think powered your professional career and allowed you to establish yourself in the NHL?
Pezzetta: I think it was just about always believing in myself and putting the work in, especially in the summer and during the seasons. I am in love with getting better and the grind. It is what drives me every day. It is what I wake up and love to do.
For me, it was just about pushing myself so that the moment I got the chance, I was ready for it. It didn’t come easily. It took me five or six years to get my first exhibition game with Montreal from when I got drafted. When I did, I was ready for it because I put all of those hours in.
We saw the picture of you wearing the Leafs logo as a kid. As a Leafs fan growing up, did you have a favourite moment?
Pezzetta: Mats Sundin was always my favourite player. I loved watching him play. There are so many good moments that I enjoyed watching with my friends — playoff runs and close calls. It is hard to pick just one, but growing up, we were a Leafs household.
The picture was of my brother and me, and I think it was our first Christmas getting our Leafs jerseys. It is hard not to cheer for the Leafs, being from Toronto. I can’t explain how stoked I am right now.
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How stoked are your family members? What was it like sharing the news with them?
Pezzetta: I am insanely fired up, and they might be even more over the top. I know my mom is super excited that I get to stay home. It has been a while. My friends and all of my buddies are Leafs fans through and through. They are so excited. I’ve had so many people message me in the last day and a half now.
It is just surreal now that it is a possibility I’ll get to put the sweater on. I am just really grateful for the opportunity.
What was the moment like when you learned you would be signing with the Leafs? What were the emotions?
Pezzetta: It was kind of a whirlwind of emotion. I almost couldn’t believe it. It was my first time being an unrestricted free agent, and you are wondering how things are going to go. I had some options to go to different places, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sign in Toronto.
I remember sitting in my room for a moment last night, and there was a big picture of Mats Sundin on my wall, a couple of pictures of CuJo, and some other things. I was sitting there thinking, “How crazy is this?” I get to fight for the opportunity to put this sweater on.
It is something I dreamed of my whole life. It feels amazing.
The Montreal-Toronto rivalry has been fun for a century or so. As a Hab, there were any particular moments that stand out when playing against Toronto?
Pezzetta: Definitely, there were some big moments. I got a nice assist one time against them. It was my first point against Toronto. My family was there, and some of my friends were there in Montreal. That was pretty cool.
We had some good battles. Especially when I started in Montreal, we weren’t the best team in the standings, and we had to beat the Leafs. It was always a good feeling. You always get jazzed up for those games. They were usually on a Saturday night.
There is really no better feeling than Toronto-Montreal on a Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada. Definitely, there have been a lot of special moments over the years.
The goal you scored and celebrated by riding your stick — where did it come from?
Pezzetta: The celly just kind of happened. I think I played three or four minutes in that game. My last shift was in the second period. I got sent out there in the shootout and scored the game-winner. I kind of just blacked out. It happened. It was a celly I pulled out of the bag in high-school hockey one time. My brain went there, and it happened.
I was just having fun living my dream every day. I love to take things easy and have fun when I am out there. I play hard. I put so much effort into hockey. You have to enjoy it.
According to the stats, you fought Ryan Reaves. What will it be like when you meet up in camp?
Pezzetta: I’ve fought him a couple of times now. There are no hard feelings. It is just two guys who have to do their job. Any time you meet guys like that off the ice, they tend to be some of the nicest guys you’ll meet. I look forward to meeting him and all of the rest of the guys.
