By Tim Parry

Max Pacioretty is a college dropout. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be sitting at home wondering what to do with the rest of his life. Sure, he’s at his parent’s home in New Canaan right now, but he knows he’ll be spending this fall in Canada.

Pacioretty, the first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadians in 2007, has given up his final three years of collegiate eligibility with the University of Michigan to sign with the NHL team.

Pacioretty will be in training camp with the Canadians this September, and is expected to start the season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs.

“Max Pacioretty is a young player with a lot of skills, who has the potential to play in the NHL,” said Montreal general manager Bob Gainey in a press release. “We are very happy to have him under contract for years to come. We feel he is ready to make the jump to professional hockey, and we will make sure to provide him with all the resources which will benefit his long-term development as a player.”

As a freshman at Michigan, Pacioretty was named the CCHA Rookie of the Year, and was named to the College Hockey News All-Rookie team and the CCHA All-Rookie team. He finished fifth in U.S. college hockey among rookies in points (39) and points per game (1.05). He was also Recipient of the Mickey and Wally Grant Scholarship for Men’s Ice Hockey.

The 6-foot-2, 199-pound left winger finished second on the team in plus-minus and powerplay goals with nine. Pacioretty also scored three game-winning goals and registered 109 shots on goal.

Pacioretty was a member of the US National team which finished fourth at the 2008 World Junior Championship presented in Czech Republic.

“We’re certainly disappointed that Max Pacioretty has chosen to forgo his eligibility at the University of Michigan at this time,” said Michigan associate head coach Mel Pearson in a statement. “Max was a positive force on our team last season. We would like to wish him well in his pursuit of his dream to play in the National Hockey League.”

I’ve been on ice skates once, as a 4th grader who had sprained his ankle twice in the prior year. Needless to say, I refused to let my father let go of me that day on a frozen Mill River in Fairfield, and that pair of Caldor skates lay useless in my parent’s basement forever.

My floor hockey career ended as a sophomore in high school when I jumped in front of Kevin Arrix, a sophomore on the New Canaan varsity, to block a shot and ended up with something like 30 stitches above my right eye. (Kevin apologizes to this day, even though I take the blame)

But you don’t have to own a stick or know how to skate to understand that FCIAC teams cannot compete at the CIAC Division I level. Read the full story