It was always obvious when Alex Pietrangelo was in the locker room.

It wasn’t just the jokes the Golden Knights defenseman would scream from his stall. Or the occasional chirping if a teammate messed up during a drill.

There was a presence the two-time Stanley Cup champion brought to the room. Maybe that’s just the aura that comes from a former captain that played over 1,000 NHL games.

The Knights will miss that this season. Pietrangelo, 35, is stepping away from hockey to rehab a hip injury that hindered him most of last season.

He will start the year on long-term injured reserve, though he plans to be around the team while rehabbing. He hasn’t closed the door on his playing career , but the odds of him ever suiting up again are low.

“I think that’s important for me is kind of still

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