He is far, far away, the Michael Pezzetta who was employed as a support player in the American League and who was sometimes left out.
For two years Pezzetta has thwarted predictions. Recalled from the minors on Nov. 1, 2021, the 25-year-old forward surprised everyone and signed his first one-sided NHL pact last season. Here he is who agreed, Friday morning, on the terms of a two-year contract extension, still with one component. This agreement, which will expire in the summer of 2025, will bring him $812,500 per year.
“There were times when it was a little harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I put in the work and believed in myself when, from the outside, things didn’t seem to be working out,” the Torontonian dropped during a virtual press conference Friday noon.
While the players were dropping like flies at the Canadiens this season, Michael Pezzetta was there, straight as an oak tree, blond hair in the wind, ready to do what Martin St-Louis asked of him. Staying healthy allowed him, he says, to “stay in the lineup” and “solidify [his] place.”
In early April, with three games remaining in the season, the rugged athlete told the media that he had “proved” he could “play in this league.” But the contract was far from certain, especially at a club that should still be crowded with attackers next season. It is clear that the leaders of the Habs were convinced.
While this agreement brings a “sense of security” to Pezzetta and his family, there is nothing gained in terms of playing time for someone who is used to earning every minute, game after game.
“Obviously there’s still a lot of work to do,” he said. There are still a lot of occupants in this team, a lot of good attackers. For me, things stay the same. I have the same mentality of going one day at a time, going to work and doing everything every day to keep my place. »
In his second season with the Canadiens, Pezzetta continued to play his rugged style of play, standing up to some of the toughest guys in this league. As a bonus, he amassed 6 goals and 8 assists in 63 games, despite an average playing time of 9 minutes. Added to that is his 24.41 hits per 60 minutes of play, a National League high this season.
“In the middle of the second half of the season, I found my rhythm,” he explained. I was in the line-up every night, I felt comfortable. I would wake up in the morning and think “today is game day, I’m in the lineup, I’m ready to play”, rather than not knowing what would happen before game time , or after the morning workout. »
“It makes me mentally comfortable. I felt I had found my game, I was playing effective games with my linemates. I played my role well. »
Upon his arrival with the Canadiens in November 2021, Pezzetta became a crowd favorite. His robust and surly acting, his friendly face and his curly hair are no strangers to this almost immediate popularity.
This season, head coach Martin St-Louis has repeatedly praised his forward, calling him “an important player for the team culture.” His teammates also had good words for him.
“It’s just who I am, suggested the principal concerned, Friday. I’m a person who wants to offer help anytime, keep it light, like cracking jokes in the locker room. I want to be an easy person to be around. »
For the next two seasons, Pezzetta intends to continue to develop, to “feed on what [his coaches] are trying to teach [him]”.
“Obviously, I want to continue to grow my role. […] The next step is to establish myself as a shorthanded player and to continue to develop in the role that I am given, to continue to be better, to work on my skills so that, if there is has an opportunity to play more minutes, I’m ready to play them and it’s not a shock. »
