Alex Pietrangelo Steps Away from the Rink for Femur Reconstruction
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will be out indefinitely due to bilateral femur reconstruction, a procedure with an uncertain prognosis, the team announced Monday night. Concerns about Pietrangelo’s health have been present throughout the season, but intensified on Sunday. It was reported that the Golden Knights’ alternate captain would require surgery and would miss the entire 2025-26 season. These concerns continued on Monday with joint statements from Pietrangelo and the Golden Knights about his health and future.Pietrangelo also mentioned that it was a difficult decision to accept, adding that the probability “is low that my body will recover to the level required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family”. The two-time Stanley Cup champion finished with four goals and 33 points, averaging 22:24 minutes of ice time in 71 games during a season in which the Golden Knights were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals against the Edmonton Oilers. Although the 35-year-old player participated in more than 70 games for the twelfth time in his career, he withdrew from representing Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February to treat an ailment. Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon stated that Pietrangelo’s efforts to play were affecting his body, with the intention that rest during the 4 Nations Face-Off to receive treatment would make a difference. McCrimmon pointed out that the positive results decreased, and that it was a process that “was no longer sustainable” in the future.The last few years have been very challenging for my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult situation with my overall health to play. After exploring options with the doctor and my family, I was advised to reduce the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve and thus be able to return to a normal quality of life.
Alex Pietrangelo
Pietrangelo, selected at number 4 in the 2008 NHL Draft, debuted in the NHL at age 19 and became a full-time player at 21. He emerged as a top-tier defenseman who was later named captain of the St. Louis Blues, the team that drafted him, and won the Stanley Cup in 2019, before leaving in 2020 to sign with the Golden Knights. The 35-year-old player provided the Golden Knights with a defenseman proven in all facets of the game as part of their win-at-all-costs approach, which led them to win the Stanley Cup in 2023. A three-time NHL All-Star, Pietrangelo has scored 148 goals and 637 points in 1,087 games. In the playoffs, he has 15 goals and 80 points in 145 postseason games. The update on Pietrangelo’s health is the latest development in what has been a busy period for the franchise. This began on Sunday night, when they traded defenseman Nicolas Hague to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. On Monday, sources reported that the Golden Knights acquired winger Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where forward Nicolas Roy was traded. Pietrangelo’s injury and the fact that he will hypothetically miss at least one season raise another question about how the Golden Knights will fill that void, now that there seems to be a vacancy in their top four, unless they promote Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights currently have six active defensemen under contract, with the idea that moving Pietrangelo, and his $8.8 million cap hit, to the Long-Term Injured Reserve for the next two years could give them the financial flexibility to address his absence on their blue line.Today’s decision is difficult for both Alex and the Golden Knights, but it is made for the right reasons. So that Alex can be the family man we all know.
Kelly McCrimmon
