Michael Pezzetta: "I love it here"

MONTREAL - Michael Pezzetta spoke to the media after signing a two-year contract extension on Friday.

Here are a few highlights from his press conference:

Pezzetta on improving since his first season and how he can get better:

From my first year to this year, I think the game slowed down a lot in my head. I feel like I was able to make better plays as opposed to the most simple play that you can make. I was able to make big plays more efficiently and be a more effective player. I found the biggest part with that was just the game slowing down in my head and being more comfortable out there. I think my touches got a lot better this season and that's something I need to continue to improve on and something that's going to allow me to be successful. So, for me, it's just to work on those touches, work on the little things, small area plays, and things like that. I think that will help me continue to be successful.

Pezzetta on being a good teammate:

I think it's who I am. I'm always somebody who wants to give a helping hand whenever I can and keep things light, whether that's in the room, crack jokes, and just be easy to be around. When it comes to playing, I'm someone who's going to put 110% in every single game and work as hard as I can to lead by example. I hope the guys see me working hard and doing the little things right, and it pushes them to do the same thing and I think I just focus on that, and the other things fall into place.

Pezzetta on overcoming adversity and taking pride in being a Hab:

There were times where it was a lot harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I was putting in a lot of work and believing in myself. Maybe on the outside it didn't really seem like things were going to work out. So, I think it was just waiting for that opportunity, and I got it two seasons ago now, took advantage of that, and once I got my foot in the door, I didn't let off the gas. So, in my head, I always knew I was ready for those opportunities, and I needed a chance to take advantage of them.

To stay in Montreal... I love it here. Honestly, every day you get to play at the Bell Centre, it's something special. There's so much history and fans are just wild. It's such a loud and fun atmosphere to be a part of that you want to stick around in this atmosphere for as long as you can and I'm really glad I get to come back for another two seasons.

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Pezzetta on growing his role next season and communicating with the coaching staff:

For me, it's just to continue to develop and work with them. They've done a great job of always having an open line of communication with me and keeping me in the loop of what's going on. So, I think it's just to continue to pick their brains and feed off what they're trying to teach me. Obviously, I try to continue to grow my role, right? I got an opportunity to play some games and some minutes on the PK this year. That's something that's important for me, especially in my role, to be an effective penalty killer, and it's something I want to take a lot of pride in. So, I think that's the next step, to establish myself on the penalty kill and then continue to develop in the role I'm given and continue to get better and work on my skills, so that if there's an opportunity to play more minutes, I'm ready for those minutes and it's not shock.