'No point in pouting': Habs forward keeps a positive attitude as he ...

13 days ago

Montreal Gazette

Michael Pezzetta has been limited to three games this season and wasn't scheduled to play against the Predators on Thursday at the Bell Centre.

Habs - Figure 1 — Photo Montreal Gazette

Published Dec 05, 2024 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 3 minute read

"I love it here. I want to play here. I want to be a Montreal Canadien," says Michael Pezzetta, seen during warm-up prior to game against the Detroit Red Wings in Montreal on April 16, 2024. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette files

There was no snow on Montreal sidewalks the last time Michael Pezzetta played a game for the Canadiens, and Halloween had yet to be celebrated.

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Indeed, it was so long ago, the Canadiens could lay claim to being a .500 team, their record 4-4-1, when Pezzetta last suited up during a 4-3 victory at Philadelphia on Oct. 27.

The Canadiens are no longer a .500 team, their record 9-13-3 heading into Thursday night’s Bell Centre game against the Nashville Predators. Pezzetta wasn’t scheduled to play against the Predators, making it 17 consecutive contests in which he has been a healthy scratch and with no light at the end of the tunnel unless there’s a sudden rash of injuries. Even should that occur, forwards Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Joshua Roy are waiting in the wings with AHL Laval.

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“At the end of the day, it’s the NHL,” Pezzetta told The Gazette Wednesday, following practice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. “This has happened to guys before me. It’s going to happen to guys after me. It’s about staying ready and, when you do get your chance if you’ve checked all the boxes during this period of time, you’ll be ready as opposed to pouting.

“I’m making sure I’m ready,” added the 26-year-old left winger. “It’s a long year. There’s always things that are changing. When I do get that chance I want to make sure I’m ready to go.”

Pezzetta has been limited to three games this season and is still seeking his first point. He has averaged a modest 9:11 of ice time and has taken one shot. Selected in the sixth round (160th overall) in 2016 by Montreal, Pezzetta has 15 goals and 38 points in 178 career games along with 221 penalty minutes. He has had to work for everything, wears his emotions on his sleeve and will always bring a physical element to the game.

There are other, more talented players who contribute a similar element to the Canadiens. And so, Pezzetta sits and waits.

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While he admitted he has spoken to management about his scenario, Pezzetta said those talks will remain private. He said no trade request has been made, nor does he believes playing in Laval, as opposed to sitting in Montreal, would prove beneficial. Pezzetta said he remains convinced he’s an NHL-calibre player.

Habs - Figure 4 — Photo Montreal Gazette

The 6-foot-1, 219-pounder signed a two-year US$1.625-million contract in June 2023. Pezzetta’s base salary is US$850,000 and carries a cap hit of US$812,500. He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, his lack of playing time doing nothing to attract potential suitors.

While Pezzetta spends extra time on the ice the morning of games, it would be unrealistic to expect much from him should he eventually return.

“That’s an art and it’s something I’ve done my whole career, but maybe not to this extent,” said the Toronto native. “It’s an art to go in there and you know what you’re going to get from me every single game. I’m sure I’ll be a little rusty, but at this point in my career, I know how to manage that. Manage my own expectations. Play hard. That’s an art I’ve kind of figured out, unfortunately.

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“I love it here. I want to play here. I want to be a Montreal Canadien, but you can imagine how I feel. Other than that there’s no point in pouting. No point in being negative. I’m a glass half-full kind of guy. Things will work out.”

Pezzetta understandably has relied on family, friends and teammates to get him through what must seem like the lowest point of his career. When defenceman Mike Matheson was briefly injured last week, he and Pezzetta spent time together.

“You have to constantly be checking in, making him feel part of the team,” Matheson said. “Just reset and check in with him. He has to know that he’s a good player and teammate, even though he’s not necessarily playing as much as I’m sure he’d love to.”

Meanwhile, Pezzetta’s strength and resolve continues growing on a daily basis.

“You can’t break me — not that they’re trying to do that,” he said. “In this situation it would be easy to pout, to wish bad on other people. I’m not that kind of person. I’ve learned a lot about myself and my resilience.”

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