Before the veterans take back City National Arena, the Golden Knights’ prospects are getting their chance to make an impression.
Vegas opened rookie camp Friday with one practice before heading to San Jose for games against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. The group includes 23 players, from recent draft picks to more seasoned prospects still chasing NHL openings.
Henderson Silver Knights head coach Joel Ward is guiding the camp through the weekend, and with so little prep time, the focus is on effort and clean execution rather than a full grasp of the system.
“The messaging for them is to get out there and try to execute and just kind of see their compete level,” Ward said.
Trevor Connelly is one of the names drawing the most attention. The Golden Knights’ 2024 first-round pick spent much of the summer in Las Vegas working on strength and stability after injuries, and he arrives with an NHL roster spot on his mind.
“I feel like this was a really big summer for me,” Connelly said. “I feel the strongest I’ve ever been, most stable I’ve ever been, and I think my game’s in the best shape it’s ever been in.”
Connelly put up 49 points in 46 games for Henderson last season, and he said he wants to show a more complete 200-foot game while trying to seize his chance at main training camp.
Not every player in the group is at the same point in the journey. Noel Pakarinen, Vegas’ seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft, is getting ready for his first season in North America with the Western Hockey League’s Penticton Vees. The 17-year-old forward was rookie of the year in Finland’s U20 league last season.
“I’m really looking forward to the games,” Pakarinen said. “I’m just excited to put the Vegas jersey on.”
Ben Hemmerling is in a much different spot. This is his fifth rookie camp, and after injuries limited him to 17 games in his first pro season, the 2022 sixth-round pick put together a strong year with 50 points in 68 games for Henderson last season.
That experience has also shifted how he sees himself in the room.
“I’m the old guy now, so it’s a little different in that way,” Hemmerling said. “I just take more of a leadership role, bringing young guys along. I remember when it was my first year coming, so it was a little intimidating.”
The Golden Knights play Utah at 3 p.m. Saturday and Colorado at 1 p.m. Sunday before returning to Las Vegas for training camp.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Just Secured Their Captain For Another Cup Push
The Golden Knights have taken another important step in keeping their core intact, agreeing to a two-year extension with captain Mark Stone. Coming off a season in which he was one of the teams most reliable producers and a central figure in Vegas push to the Stanley Cup Final, Stones new deal gives the organization some needed stability as it continues to build around a familiar leadership group.
Stones value goes well beyond the box score, but his production still underscored how important he remains to the lineup. After a career season last year, the captain has become one of the clearest anchors on a roster that has also seen recent movement with Braeden Bowmans new contract, and the next question is how Vegas continues shaping the rest of its Cup-caliber core around him. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Just Sent A Clear Message With Mark Stone
Mark Stones long run with Vegas is set to continue after the Golden Knights locked up their captain on a two-year extension, keeping one of the franchises defining early acquisitions in place for the stretch ahead. Since arriving from Ottawa, Stone has spent parts of seven seasons in the organization and has remained a fixture at the top of the lineup, even while injuries have periodically interrupted his availability.
For a team built around stability and star power, the move sends a clear message about how the Golden Knights view their core. Stone still brings the kind of two-way value Vegas has long leaned on, and the new agreement gives the club more certainty around a veteran leader whose fit has never really been in doubt, even as his future has sometimes felt worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Face Huge Pressure As This Core Tries One More Run
The Golden Knights are heading into the 2026-27 season with the sort of pressure that comes only when a franchise believes it is still built to win now. Expectations around Vegas are back in familiar territory, with a Stanley Cup appearance the standard rather than the dream, and the core of Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone carrying most of the burden. The roster also has an older feel to it, which only raises the stakes for a group trying to squeeze one more deep run out of a window that has already produced one championship.
There is still enough uncertainty around the edges to make this a delicate season in advance, even before the games start. A first-time head coach will be stepping into one of the leagues most scrutinized jobs, and the roster could still be reshaped before opening night. For Vegas, the challenge is less about chasing a playoff berth and more about proving this version of the team can still live up to the standard it set for itself from the beginning. [Read more 🡒]