Alex Pietrangelo says rehab going well, isn’t ready to call it a career

The bright side for Alex Pietrangelo, the family man, is that it’s easier to be the best dad and husband he can be.

Pietrangelo, the hockey player, struggled in those areas because he was committed to playing at the highest level.

“Last year was very difficult to operate and play at the level that I wanted and be the dad that I wanted, and the husband more importantly,” Pietrangelo said.

Being a devoted family man factored into Pietrangelo’s decision to take a step back from playing hockey as he continues to rehab a hip injury that might require reconstruction surgery.

But Pietrangelo isn’t closing the door on his playing career, nor did he shut down a chance that he could suit up this season.

“Nothing’s ever really concrete,” Pietrangelo said Monday during a news conference at City National Arena. “I think I’m just going to take it day by day, go through the process and see where it goes.”

Rehab on track

In his first public comments since the June 30 announcement that he would step away from hockey, the 35-year-old defenseman said the rehab process is going well and he’s holding off on a possible bilateral femur reconstruction for as long as he can.

Pietrangelo has remained in town and is rehabbing with the Knights’ medical team. He consulted with doctors and fellow players who have experienced something similar to his injury.

“The rehab process is the way I want to do it right now,” Pietrangelo said. “It’s been making a huge difference. I feel a lot better.”

Pietrangelo confirmed that the hip is what forced him to withdraw from representing Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off last season in the NHL’s return to best-on-best international competition.

Pietrangelo was looking forward to his family watching him play with some of the best players in the world. The King City, Ontario, native was also looking forward to the chance to suit up in the Winter Olympics one more time in February.

Instead, Pietrangelo chose what he thought was best for himself and the Knights, which was to use the two-week break to rest and help the team make another deep playoff run.

“Last year is when it really started to take a toll on me,” Pietrangelo said. “By the time it really started to get to me last year, to try to address it, with how good of a team we had, it would’ve cut the whole year off for me. When you have a roster like we did and you have an opportunity to win, that’s a tough thing to give up.”

Not going anywhere

Most players going on long-term injured reserve tend to stay in the shadows until they’re back on the ice. But Pietrangelo said he wants to be around the team as much as possible and be a sounding board to teammates.

“That’s important for me to kind of still be here,” Pietrangelo said. “Mentally, it’s great because I love being a part of the locker room. Anybody who’s played sports, especially at our age, you get together with the guys, and it’s been really, really fun for me to be able to come here and still see everybody and support the group.”

Pietrangelo will be placed on LTIR when the season starts. He has two years remaining on his seven-year, $61.6 million contract that he signed with the Knights in October 2020.

A storied career

The 17-year-pro helped the Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023, his second championship after captaining the St. Louis Blues to their first title in 2019.

Pietrangelo played 329 of his 1,087 games with the Knights, totaling 637 points in his career. He suited up for the Knights in his 1,000th game Feb. 13, 2024.

If he never plays again, there is a strong Hall of Fame case to be made.

“You have to kind of take a step back and be proud of it,” Pietrangelo said of his career.

Pietrangelo said winning the Stanley Cup with the Knights in 2023 was extra special because he got to have all his kids be part of the celebration. His youngest daughter, Julia Grace, was born in September 2020.

She got to sit in the Stanley Cup at 2 years old, much like her siblings — triplets Evelyn, Oliver and Theodore — did in St. Louis four years prior.

“I got all four of my kids to be able to sit in the Stanley Cup when they were babies, and I have a picture of that,” Pietrangelo said. “That is the coolest thing in the world, and not many people can say that. I’m happy I got that done. It’s pretty special for me.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.