Zach Kassian recently announced his retirement after a long career in the NHL. Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, but he managed to make his mark on the Bettman circuit.
His time in Montreal was short, very short indeed. He hadn’t even had time to play a real game before his off-ice problems drove him out of the metropolis.
He had been involved in a car accident with two women in 2015. He was intoxicated at the time. Following this, he was placed on an NHL assistance program and Marc Bergevin, the CH’s general manager at the time, didn’t give him another chance.
The newly-retired player reflected on his career on Frank Seravalli’s podcast. According to him, the turning point of his career was the accident that broke his leg and nose.
Zack Kassian’s career was on the brink. He arrived in Montreal with a stiff warning from Marc Bergevin.
Two weeks later, he was in rehab. Freshly retired, Kassian opens up the highs and lows of an impressive 661-game #NHL career.
Link: https://t.co/rjlWpIHAYe@betwaycanada pic.twitter.com/IX9JYG8ahD
– Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 3, 2023
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He recounted how he and the CH GM sat down after his acquisition and Bergevin made it clear. If he stayed on the right path, the fans would love him. Montreal was ready to roll out the red carpet for him if all went well.
Obviously, things didn’t work out as planned, and Kassian was forced to reconsider. His career was at a crossroads and he had quite a wake-up call.
He changed his ways and the rest is history. He was a great asset to the Edmonton Oilers, playing on the first line on occasion.
It’s not easy to change habits, but Kassian did it with his back against the wall, and that’s no mean feat.
During his appearance on the podcast, the former NHLer insisted several times on Marc Bergevin’s honesty. Whether at official or informal meetings, he always seems to get straight to the point, more so than his colleagues.
In a gust
– He had a strong game.
Highway robbery from Jakub Dobeš on this glove save! pic.twitter.com/CFBKd5sWHF
– Scott Matla (@scottmatla) November 4, 2023
– Could it be Slafkovsky?
Dvorak returns; who will step aside?
Text by @GagnonFrancois https://t.co/H9HbQiC7xt
– RDS (@RDSca) November 4, 2023
– Things aren’t going well in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Steelers George Pickens went to social media to air frustrations.
Pickens claimed he’s not a priority in Pittsburgh’s system and wants to be released.
“Free Me” Pickens also removed Steelers from his IG account. pic.twitter.com/h57yXqtsXE
– NFL Rumors (@nflrums) November 3, 2023