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Max Pacioretty Makes Heartbreaking Announcement Following Leafs Exit

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 20, 2025 1:58 PM ET

Max Pacioretty was great in the post-season for the Maple Leafs, but now, it appears that the veteran's NHL career could be quickly coming to an end.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a long 2024/25 campaign, and while it ended in the second round, there's certainly a different feeling around this group than there has been in recent years.

One key addition for the team was veteran Max Pacioretty, who came back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a bang, scoring some big goals to help this team to Game 7 against the Florida Panthers, even if they came up short in the end.

Following the disappointing end to the season, Pacioretty has addressed his future in the NHL, noting that after this season with Toronto, he's unclear about his future, and could potentially be looking into retirement this off-season.

Pacioretty cites being away from his family as one of the major reasons why he could consider retirement over the summer, and at 36-years of age, it's clear that he's already considered moving onto the next phase of his life.

He made his NHL debut way back in 2008, and has been a staple of the NHL for the past 17 years, and after all that, he simply may not want to physically and emotionally put himself and his family through yet another NHL campaign in 2025/26.

We will likely know more in the coming days about his future at the top level, but for now, we could be witnessing one of the most consistent and reliable forwards in recent NHL memory officially moving on and starting the next phase in his life very, very soon.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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