MONTREAL – Veteran coach Dan Murphy knew Max Pacioretty had a bright future in store early on in their working relationship.
Murphy, who has helmed the boys’ varsity hockey squad at The Taft School for years, recalls a 15-year-old Pacioretty making a memorable first impression after arriving on campus in Watertown, CT fresh off a two-year stint at New Canaan High School just 60 miles down the road.
“He definitely had that fire in his eyes. At that point, I didn’t know that he was going to be a future NHL star, but I just knew that he was different than all the other kids.