Some unfortunate news came across social media earlier this week when one former Stanley Cup champion from the 2018 St. Louis Blues is battling serious injuries. Although not confirmed, this could be the end of his storied career.
With major surgeries on the horizon, Alex Pietrangelo will be shut down and miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season with the Las Vegas Golden Knights. It could be the end of the road for a future Hall of Famer.
Alex Pietrangelo could reportedly miss the entire 2025–26 season pic.twitter.com/kyqgE8ppUm
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) June 29, 2025
There are not many athletes who can separate their careers into two separate successes. You think of Wayne Gretzky's tenures in Edmonton and then Los Angeles, or Mark Messier in Edmonton and with the New York Rangers. Pietrangelo could be in that same kind of category.
The 35-year-old defenseman has a stellar resume with both the Blues and the Vegas Knights. Pietrangelo might not have won any individual awards, but he brought home a Stanley Cup to both respective cities, which also happened to be the first one in each team's history. In 17 seasons, he appeared in 1087 games, scoring 148 goals and 489 assists for 637 points.
In international play, the former Blues first-round selection in the 2008 NHL Draft appeared in multiple competitions. For Team Canada, he won a gold medal in the 2008-09 U-20 World Junior Championships, as well as a gold medal at the 2014 Olympics. To cap it all off, he led Canada to a gold medal at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
If this is the end of the journey, what a career it was. Pietrangelo captained the only Stanley Cup winning team in Blues history, and then was the assistant captain of the Golden Knights sole Stanley Cup victory. His place in the Hall of Fame will be guarenteed one day. Hopefully we get to see him back on the ice, and this is not the end.