From The Canadian Press:
Montreal coach Michel Therrien denies ever calling Max Pacioretty “the worst captain in Canadiens history” but is glad there will be more veteran leadership on his squad this season.
Therrien reportedly disparaged Pacioretty at a recent charity golf tournament. The report said the coach was overheard by several people.
“First of all, I never said that,” Therrien said Tuesday at the Canadiens golf tournament. “Secondly, I don’t pay attention to hearsay.”
This story, not surprisingly, has been a hot one in Montreal, ever since it bubbled up last week.
“It’s unfortunate that something like that would get made-up, catch wildfire and spread,” Pacioretty said Wednesday, per Yahoo Sports. “This is something that’s obviously not true. I’m not going to sit here and pout. It is unfortunate. It is something I don’t want to deal with.”
Suffice to say, it’s going to be fascinating to watch the Habs this season. No more P.K. Subban, replaced by Shea Weber. The return of a healthy Carey Price. And now there’s this story, even if both Therrien and Pacioretty have denied that it is a story.
Pacioretty, 27, is signed for three more years at a cap hit of $4.5 million. He was named the Canadiens’ captain last September, the 29th to wear the ‘C’ in franchise history.