Max Pacioretty sounds off on infamous Zdeno Chara hit

It remains one of the most shocking hits in recent National Hockey League memory, and one of those that we'll all remember where we were when it went down.

Let's throw it back to March 8, 2011 at Bell Centre in downtown Montreal. Of course, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins are not only both Original 6 squads, but are bitter rivals themselves, and a matchup between these two historic teams are usually always must-see TV. Late in the second period, Pacioretty was pursuing a loose puck along the team benches when towering Bruins captain Zdeno Chara drove the former's head into the glass stanchion. Pacioretty was knocked unconscious and lay motionless on the ice for several minutes as he was tended to by medical personnel from both squads; he would suffer a severe concussion and a non-displaced fractured fourth cervical vertebra. 

While speaking on the Raw Knuckles Podcast hosted by Chris Nilan and Tim Stapleton, Pacioretty reflected back on the infamous hit, saying that it was simply a case of him being "young and stupid" in trying to make a play against Chara that had no bearing on the game. 

"I was so dumb, I was like if I get my head bashed in, then I get it bashed in," Pacioretty said. "If you look at the clock on that play, he pushes my head into the glass. It's a nothing play, it's me being young and stupid, like let me try and win this race at the end of a period that has no relevance on the game at all. Obviously he turns my head into the turnbuckle, but I don't remember anything else. I remember waking up in the hospital." 

The NHL responded by introducing new curved spring-loaded glass stanchion between the benches to protect players from further incidents.