Michael Pezzetta’s journey to the NHL has been a long one, yet he recalls a special pre-season night that marked his breakthrough.
Five years after the Montreal Canadiens drafted him in the sixth round (160th overall) in the NHL Draft, Pezzetta finally got his pre-season opportunity against his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored twice—including an empty-netter—in a 5-4 victory on September 27, 2021.
“I just remember how cool that was, and I remember them talking about it on the panel on television, being like, ‘It's a cool experience for this kid, but he's probably never going to make it. It was a cool experience for him to get those two goals,’” Pezzetta recalled. “I ended up making it later that year, so I just remember that. It was funny."
Pezzetta has since played in 200 NHL games. This summer, the Maple Leafs signed Pezzetta to a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $812,500.
On Thursday, he will wear the Maple Leafs uniform for the first time.
Even though it’s just a pre-season game, Pezzetta is excited about the opportunity to return to the Bell Centre.
“It's always a game that if you can't get up to that game, there's probably something wrong with you because they're exciting,” Pezzetta said. “They're usually on a Saturday night. It gets going. They're just a lot of fun to be a part of, and I think it's something special, and I think it's something I'm so grateful that I've had to experience it.”
Pezzetta is a long shot to make the Leafs’ roster and will probably start this season with the Toronto Marlies. But anything can happen. Even though his two-goal pre-season performance in 2021 was dismissed, the forward went on to play 51 games with the Canadiens in 2021–22. Depending on what the Leafs need as injuries and personnel shifts arise, Pezzetta could be called upon at some point.
And if he has another memorable outing in Montreal, he'll probably get the panel talking about him again.
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