Vegas Golden Knights near helping Trevor Connelly (24) defends against Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh (19) during the 3rd play of an NHL hockey crippled astatine T-Mobile Arena Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Photo by: Steve Marcus / Las Vegas Sun
By Case Keefer (contact)
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 | 2 a.m.
When the Vegas Golden Knights entered the NHL 10 seasons ago, astir expected they’d beryllium led by a talented postulation of homegrown players the squad drafted and developed by now.
It made consciousness fixed erstwhile caller teams’ paths and the organization’s deftness successful requiring assets done the enlargement draft, but the nonstop other has turned retired to beryllium true.
The Golden Knights person aggressively dealt distant the immense bulk of their apical prospects and draught superior for much established difference-makers going connected a decennary now.
The strategy has surely worked, giving the squad 1 of the astir star-studded rosters successful hockey and yielding a Stanley Cup rubric successful 2023, but determination is simply a insignificant downside. The instrumentality basal has mostly missed retired connected the thrill of watching the highest-regarded young players turn successful the insignificant leagues and past interruption retired successful the NHL.
That seems to beryllium changing this season. The Golden Knights are disconnected to different beardown start, winning six of their archetypal 8 games, and a large crushed for the occurrence is the benignant of subordinate comparatively overseas to the franchise — a prima rookie successful Trevor Connelly.
The 20-year-old erstwhile first-round prime has 3 goals, 2 assists and was precocious promoted to the Golden Knights’ apical power-play unit.
“I person specified assurance successful him,” teammate Mitch Marner said. “He’s specified a bully player. You spot it connected the daily, conscionable the plays helium makes. … He’s got the skillset. (The accelerated start) is not truly surprising.”
Connelly’s biggest infinitesimal isn’t adjacent included successful the statistic enactment due to the fact that it occurred aft regularisation and a five-minute overtime period. He fooled aboriginal Hall of Fame goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and backhanded the game-winning extremity successful a 4-3 shootout triumph against the Toronto Maple Leafs connected October 8 astatine T-Mobile Arena.
Coach Ryan Craig, who spent 1 afloat play and portion of different coaching Connelly with the Henderson Silver Knights, said helium had nary hesitation sending the youngster retired with the crippled connected the line.
“I’ve seen him bash that astatine the American Hockey League level,” Craig said. “At that point, it’s a one-on-one with the goalie.”
Craig is ever going to spot Connelly successful a one-on-one. The rookie’s changeable mightiness beryllium his biggest strength, and he’s wiping distant immoderate interest that it mightiness not beryllium NHL acceptable yet.
But he’s not relying solely connected his speedy release, arsenic his archetypal NHL extremity came successful an opening-night 5-2 triumph against the Chicago Blackhawks erstwhile helium established himself astatine the nett front.
“It’s been awesome,” Connelly said erstwhile asked however his archetypal fewer weeks successful the NHL person felt. “It’s a imagination travel true. It’s conscionable putting the past down and focusing time by time connected signifier and conscionable trying to bash my champion connected the crystal each signifier and each game.”
Connelly was a arguable enactment successful the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, held astatine the Sphere. He was considered much talented than the No. 19 wide pick, wherever the Golden Knights chose him, but came with quality concerns due to the fact that of respective incidents passim his youth-hockey career.
But the Golden Knights said they enactment successful their owed diligence connected Connelly and felt comfy taking him. There person been nary reported troubles with Connelly arsenic a professional, with teammates praising his enactment ethic and eagerness to improve.
Craig initially said helium would springiness Connelly a accidental with the NHL players astatine grooming campy and spot however it went. Connelly instantly proved helium belonged and hasn’t travel adjacent to relinquishing his opportunity.
“Especially successful your archetypal year, each crippled is simply a learning lesson,” Marner said. “There’s ever things you tin larn from. I deliberation he’s done a truly bully occupation of taking that and being amended the adjacent game.”
Marner peculiarly has go a mentor to Connelly, who called the narration “surreal” fixed however overmuch helium looked up to the 29-year-old seasoned from afar arsenic precocious arsenic a fewer years ago.
Connelly has attached himself to Marner connected the roadworthy and adjacent got the invitation for meal with his household astatine his location successful Las Vegas. When they stock the crystal connected the powerfulness play, Connelly knows what to expect too.
“Just got to beryllium acceptable astatine each times, instrumentality connected the ice, and think, adjacent clip erstwhile I get a chance, this is going successful the net,” Connelly said.
This communicative primitively appeared successful Las Vegas Weekly.
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