Alex Pietrangelo not yet ready to retire

LAS VEGAS — Alex Pietrangelo is not retiring. At least not yet.

The Golden Knights veteran defenseman hasn’t closed the door on playing again, be it this year or next season, which would be the final year of his current contract, which is worth $8.8 million annually.

The 35-year-old father of five wanted to clarify things Monday as he met with the media at City National Arena. He is currently on LTIR, so he is still getting paid. For the moment, he is opting to rehab his injured hip in the hopes he might be able to return to the ice at some point. If he elects to have surgery, his absence figures to be considerably longer.

“You go through the process. You consult with the doctors and you try to come up with a plan,” Pietrangelo said of his decision. “I’m going to try and rehab it and see how it is. I’ve talked to a lot of people who’ve had it. The rehab process is the way I want to do it.”

The time off has its plusses and minuses. On the positive side, he gets to spend more time with his family. He helps coach his son’s youth hockey team and it will allow him to do things he normally wouldn’t be able to do had he played.

He’ll also stay around the organization, help mentor the younger players, both at the NHL and AHL levels. With the Henderson Silver Knights nearby, Pietrangelo said he’ll have the opportunity to talk to the AHL guys and impart the wisdom he has acquired over 17 NHL seasons which includes winning two Stanley Cups.

“I love being part of the locker room,” Pietrangelo said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys, be it here (in Vegas) or in Henderson. So to be able to be around, talk to them is great. But I don’t know if I want to be a coach just yet.”

On the down side, Pietrangelo will miss the opportunity to help the Knights try to get back to the Stanley Cup Final and win a third ruing. He’ll also miss out on the chance to play for Canada in the Olympics. He had been scheduled to play in last year’s 4 Nations event but his health prevented him from taking part.

“That was one of the coolest experiences I ever had,” said Pietrangelo, who represented Canada in the 2014 Sochi Games. “It would  have been great to be able to take my wife and kids to the Olympics.”
 
And while helping the Knights win the Cup in 2023 remains one of his career highlights, the last two seasons have seen a drop in Pietrangelo’s production. He has had just four goals and 29 assists for 33 points in each of his previous two years, playing 64 games in 2023-24 and 71 games last season.

It’s hard for any hockey player to compete while trying to play with a wonky hip. But a defenseman in particular can be hampered trying to play with a hip injury. Pietrangelo tried to play through it but he realized it was hampering his performance on the ice.

So his career is on pause for now. He’ll take it day-by-day and see where it goes. If he is unable to return to the ice, his body of work will likely land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame at some point.

In his 17-year NHL career, Pietrangelo has played 1,087 games, has averaged 24.22 minutes of ice time per game, has scored 148 goals, has 489 assists and a total of 637 points. He’s a there-time NHL All-Star and a two-time Stanley Cup champion. If he never plays again, he’d be eligible for HOF consideration in 2028 as would another former Golden Knight — goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury who retired at the end of last season.

For now, Pietrangelo will take things day-by-day, see where it goes and how he feels before making any final career decision.

“I’m going to try and rehab and see what happens,” he said. “The hardest thing will be not being around the locker room (every day) and being with the guys. We’ll see how things go.”