Max Pacioretty unafraid to wear #67 with Maple Leafs looking to break championship drought dating back to 1967

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Sep 23, 2024 16:41 GMT

Max Pacioretty is wearing No. 67 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a number tied to their last Stanley Cup win, in 1967. Fans in Montreal used to tease the visiting Leafs about their long championship drought with Pacioretty's 67 jerseys.

Despite this, the 35-year-old hasn't thought about changing his number, which he’s worn for 17 years. He hopes the number will bring good luck to the team.

“I’ve heard fans say one of two ways: either it’s going to be good luck or bad luck,” Pacioretty said with a smile, per Sportsnet, “I hope to bring the team good luck with that number.”

At 35, Pacioretty is coming off two Achilles injuries and is working hard to prove he can still play. He’s with the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout (PTO) and aims to earn a spot on the roster. Starting on the fifth line, he knows he has to fight for a place in the team.

Max Pacioretty chose Toronto because of their potential and strong medical support. He feels he’s in good physical and mental shape. Now, he’s looking forward to the season and hoping to make an impact while wearing No. 67.

Reasoning behind Toronto Maple Leaf's PTO offer to Max Pacioretty

Max Pacioretty signed the professional tryout contract after scoring 23 points (four goals, 19 assists) in 47 games for the Washington Capitals last season. The Leafs see hope in Pacioretty to provide depth to their roster, per GM Brad Treliving's statement on September 12.

"Our expectation is he's going to come in, he gives us more depth,” Treliving said per NHL.com “All that stuff's going to sort itself out at camp, right? I know we all get excited when we see guys out here, but to me, what we're trying to do is make our roster as deep as possible."

Pacioretty has 668 career points (330 goals, 338 assists) in 902 regular-season games and 50 points in 78 playoff games. He has played for the Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens.

“I think there's going to be lots of people pushing for jobs. Where everybody fits and who they fit with, Craig (Berube) and the coaching staff will figure it out. I'm just trying to give them as many options as we possibly can. But we're excited to see Max, get him up to speed," Treliving added.

Max Pacioretty delivered on the expectations in Sunday's preseason game against the Ottawa Senators. He scored two goals for the Leafs but they lost the game 6-5.