The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an expansion team, the team is the first major sports franchise to represent Las Vegas. The franchise is primarily owned by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, a consortium led by Bill Foley, with Adrienne Maloof holding a minority stake. Their home games are played at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.
One of the few expansion franchises to experience immediate success, the Golden Knights qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs in their first four seasons and reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season. Their 13 playoff wins en route to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals are the most for a team during their inaugural postseason run. In 2023, the club returned to the Stanley Cup Finals and won their first Stanley Cup championship, defeating the Florida Panthers in five games.
Team and league honors[]
Awards and trophies[]
Main article: List of Vegas Golden Knights award winners
- 2022–23
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl/Western Conference titles
- 2017–18
- 2022–23
Conn Smythe Trophy
- Jonathan Marchessault: 2023
Jack Adams Award
- Gerard Gallant: 2017–18
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
- William Karlsson: 2017–18
Mark Messier Leadership Award
- Deryk Engelland: 2017–18
NHL General Manager of the Year Award
- George McPhee: 2017–18
Vezina Trophy
- Marc-Andre Fleury: 2020–21
William M. Jennings Trophy
- Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner: 2020–21
NHL Second All-Star Team
- Marc-Andre Fleury: 2020–21
First-round draft picks[]
Main article: List of Vegas Golden Knights draft picks
- 2017: Cody Glass (6th overall), Nick Suzuki (13th overall), Erik Brannstrom (15th overall)
- 2019: Peyton Krebs (17th overall)
- 2020: Brendan Brisson (29th overall)
- 2021: Zach Dean (30th overall)
- 2023: David Edstrom (32nd overall)
- 2024: Trevor Connelly (19th overall)
Retired numbers[]
The number 58 was retired by the team on March 31, 2018, in honor of the 58 victims killed in the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting.
The team is also not able to issue the jersey number 99 to any of its players as it was retired league-wide in honor of Wayne Gretzky at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.
Franchise History[]
The NHL has had a presence in Las Vegas since 1991 when an outdoor game was held in Las Vegas with the Los Angeles Kings facing the New York Rangers outside Caesars Palace in a preseason exhibition game.
The city has since hosted the Frozen Fury, a pre-season competition between the Los Angeles Kings & the Colorado Avalanche and the NHL Awards ceremonies have been held in Las Vegas since 2009.
In 2009, the media speculated about a plan involving Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer to move the team then known as the Phoenix Coyotes to Nevada.
Rumors of a Las Vegas expansion team surfaced again in August 2014, pointing to a new indoor arena on the Strip (built as a joint venture between Anschutz Entertainment Group, owners of the Los Angeles Kings, and MGM Resorts International) as the potential home arena, although these rumors would be denied by the league.
In November 2014, an unconfirmed report stated that the league had selected billionaire businessman Bill Foley and the Maloof family (former owners of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings, and founders of the Palms Casino Resort) to lead the ownership group for a Las Vegas expansion team.
In December 2014, the NHL's board of governors decided to allow Foley to hold a season ticket drive to gauge interest in a Las Vegas team, though league commissioner Gary Bettman also warned the media to "[not] make more out of this than it is".
The season ticket drive began in February of 2015, with interested parties placing ten percent deposits for the 2016–17 season. The drive drew 5,000 deposits in its first day and a half, and reached its goal of 10,000 deposits by April 2015.
In June 2015, the league officially opened the window for prospective owners to bid on expansion teams. By this point, Foley had secured more than 13,200 season-ticket deposits. Two expansion applications were submitted: Foley's application for a Las Vegas team, and a bid from Quebecor to revive the Quebec Nordiques at a new arena in Quebec City.
Both Las Vegas and Quebec were invited to move into Phase II of the league expansion bid in August 2015 and subsequently advanced to Phase III.
Knights owner Bill Foley in 2016
Start of operations: 2016–2018[]
At the league owners' meeting on June 22, 2016, in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas expansion bid was approved by a unanimous vote, with play to begin in the 2017–18 NHL season.
The team became the first major professional sports franchise to be based in Las Vegas, and the first NHL expansion team since 2000. Foley committed to pay the league's $500 million expansion feel and began the process of hiring the team's principal staff and determining its official identity.
Foley announced that former Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee would be the franchise's first general manager. On November 22, 2016, the name was revealed as the Vegas Golden Knights.
On March 1, 2017 (coinciding with the league's trade deadline), the team completed its expansion fee payments and filings, making it eligible to formally begin operations such as free agent acquisition, and participation in league meetings.
Five days later, the Golden Knights made its first personnel move by signing Reid Duke to a three-year entry-level contract.
On April 13, 2017, the team named Gerard Gallant as the inaugural head coach. Over the next two months, the Golden Knights developed their farm system, announcing affiliations with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL.
The team participated in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft on June 21, 2017, selecting an available player from all 30 teams in the NHL.
The draft picks were announced at T-Mobile Arena during the NHL Awards ceremony. Some notable selections included goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from the Pittsburgh Penguins and winger James Neal from the Nashville Predators.
At the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Cody Glass was the first player selected by the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights played their first game on October 6, 2017 against the Dallas Stars with Neal scoring the franchise's first two goals en route to their first victory.
The team's inaugural home game was played on October 10, 2017, hosting the Arizona Coyotes as the second game of a home-and-home series.
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Golden Knights honor the 58 victims of the Las Vegas Strip mass shooting of 2017.
In the aftermath of the October 1st mass shooting in Las Vegas, the pre-game ceremonies honored the victims of the attack, and the team issued an appeal for donations to its charitable arm.
With their 5–2 win, the Golden Knights increased their unbeaten streak to start the season to 3–0, an NHL record for an expansion team.
The Golden Knights are the first team in NHL history to have started their inaugural season winning eight of their first nine games.
During their tenth game, goaltender Oscar Dansk was injured, becoming the third Golden Knights' goaltender to be injured during the season after losing starters Fleury and the recently acquired Malcolm Subban, forcing the team to start a fourth goaltender in 11 games with Maxime Lagace.
Fifteen games into the season, Vadim Shipachyov became the first player to retire from the NHL as a Golden Knight when he decided to return to the Kontinental Hockey League.
In December, the Golden Knights set another NHL expansion team record of six straight wins, a record they had previously missed when they lost their tenth game of the season, and established a new NHL record with eight straight wins.
On February 1, 2018, the Golden Knights set the expansion team record for wins in a debut season with 34 wins after only 50 games.
On February 21, 2018, they set a record for most points by an expansion team in the inaugural season with 84.
On March 26, 2018, the Golden Knights became the first team since the Edmonton Oilers and the Hartford Whalers in the 1979–80 season to make the playoffs in their inaugural season in the league.
On March 31, 2018, the Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division title, becoming the first true expansion team in the four major sports to win its division in its inaugural season (not counting all-expansion divisions, as was the case in the 1967–68 season; they had led the Pacific since December 23rd.
On April 11, 2018 the Golden Knights won its first playoff game in a 1–0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in the first game of the series.
Six days later on April 17th, the Golden Knights earned their first playoff series win against the Kings, winning the fourth game by a 1–0 score, which also became their first playoff series sweep. They became the first team in NHL history to sweep their first playoff series in their inaugural season.
Continued contention and first Stanley Cup championship (2018–present)[]
Prior to the 2018–19 season, the Golden Knights acquired winger Max Pacioretty from the Montreal Canadiens and signed free-agent center Paul Stastny, filling the roster holes left by the free-agency departures of James Neal and David Perron. Additionally, Vegas acquired future captain Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline, subsequently signing him to an eight-year extension. Despite dropping to 93 standings points from the prior season's 109, the Golden Knights returned to the playoffs as the third seed in the Pacific Division. They ultimately suffered their first-ever first-round elimination, losing to the San Jose Sharks in seven games after leading the series 3 games to 1. Game seven was particularly notable; after taking a 3–0 lead into the third period, Cody Eakin delivered a cross-check to Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, resulting in a controversial 5-minute major penalty call that saw the Sharks score four goals and take a 4–3 lead. The Sharks would eventually win the game, after a late game-tying goal by Jonathan Marchessault for Vegas followed by Barclay Goodrow's series winner in overtime.
In May 2019, Vegas modified their front-office staff, with the promotions of George McPhee from general manager to president of hockey operations and assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon to general manager. During the remainder of the off-season and 2019–20 season, the Golden Knights' roster experienced considerable turnover. In June, original Golden Knights Erik Haula and Colin Miller were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres, respectively, with recently signed KHL standout Nikita Gusev also sent to the New Jersey Devils. The team additionally acquired center Chandler Stephenson from the Washington Capitals in early December 2019. After an up-and-down start resulting in a 24–19–6 record and capped by a four-game losing streak, the team fired head coach Gallant, replacing him with recently fired former Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer on January 15, 2020.
During the following month in the lead-up to the trade deadline, Vegas further acquired defenseman Alec Martinez from the Los Angeles Kings, forward Nick Cousins from Montreal, and goaltender Robin Lehner from the Chicago Blackhawks, as well as trading original Golden Knights Cody Eakin and Malcolm Subban to the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL regular season was suspended on March 12, 2020, and officially concluded on May 26; Vegas, holding the 3rd-best points percentage in the Western Conference, automatically qualified for the restructured playoffs, playing in a round-robin to determine the top four seeds in the Western playoff bracket. After sweeping the round-robin round over the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche, Vegas earned the first seed, proceeding to defeat Chicago in the first round in five games. In the second round, Vegas defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games, despite once again having previously led the series 3–1. Their playoff run would end in the conference finals, however, as the Golden Knights lost to Dallas in five games.
Prior to the shortened 2020–21 season, Mark Stone was named the first captain in franchise history. Additionally, alternate captain and team leader Deryk Engelland retired, stepping into a front-office role with the team. The Golden Knights further overhauled the roster in the off-season, notably signing defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to a seven-year contract, as well as trading Paul Stastny to Winnipeg and original Golden Knight Nate Schmidt to Vancouver. The shortened schedule saw a temporary realignment where teams only played against their own division in the regular season, with Vegas being placed in a new eight-team West Division. The Golden Knights ultimately finished second in both the division and league; despite being tied in points with the Colorado Avalanche, the Avalanche had five more regulation wins than Vegas. In first round of the playoffs, Vegas was forced to a game seven for the third consecutive year after leading 3–1, but defeated the Minnesota Wild thanks in part to a hat trick from trade-deadline acquisition Mattias Janmark.
In the second round, the Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche in six games despite initially going down 2–0; however, Vegas' playoff run would again end one round short of the Stanley Cup Finals, as the Golden Knights were then upset by the Montreal Canadiens in six games in the Stanley Cup semifinals. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was named the winner of the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender at season's end, with he and Lehner also sharing a William M. Jennings Trophy win for allowing the fewest goals against of any team.
The 2021 off-season began with a swap of former first-round picks, as Vegas acquired Nolan Patrick from the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a three-team trade that sent Cody Glass to the Nashville Predators. Vegas also acquired forward Brett Howden from the New York Rangers, later sending Ryan Reaves to the Rangers in a separate trade. Most controversially, Fleury was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for minor-league forward Mikael Hakkarainen due to salary-cap constraints. Vegas later traded for Ottawa Senators forward Evgenii Dadonov, as well as signing Laurent Brossoit to back up Robin Lehner. Approximately one month after the start of the 2021–22 season, Vegas acquired star center Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres, in exchange for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and two draft picks. During the course of the season, the Golden Knights suffered a rash of injuries across the roster, with a total of 478 man-games lost; owing to this, Ben Hutton, Michael Amadio, Adam Brooks, and Derrick Pouliot were signed or claimed off waivers for depth, while rookies such as Jake Leschyshyn, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Logan Thompson received significant playing time. The trade deadline also witnessed a voided trade, as an attempt to send Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks fell through due to non-compliance with his no-trade clause. Due in part to the injuries, as well as lackluster play, the Golden Knights ultimately missed the playoffs for the first time in team history, finishing three points behind the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference.
2022–23: Stanley Cup champions[]
Golden Knights bring home first-ever Stanley Cup.
During the 2022 off-season, Vegas fired head coach DeBoer, replacing him with former Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy one month later.
Adin Hill (left) and Laurent Brossoit (right) during games against the Seattle Kraken in October 2022 and April 2023, respectively. The two would combine to start all 22 of Vegas' 2023 playoff games, with Brossoit starting the first eight and Hill the final 14, including the entire 2023 Stanley Cup Finals.
Besides the hiring of Cassidy, the Golden Knights experienced comparatively few changes during the off-season; most notably, Mattias Janmark left in free agency, while Max Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, and Evgenii Dadonov was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. The team also signed veteran forward Phil Kessel to a one-year contract. Change did occur in the goaltender's net, however; with starting goaltender Robin Lehner ruled out for the season due to hip surgery, and backup Laurent Brossoit set to miss time due to surgery of his own, the team turned to rookie Logan Thompson as starter. Additionally, the Golden Knights acquired Adin Hill from the San Jose Sharks to serve as Thompson's backup.
The Golden Knights began the 2022–23 season leading the Pacific Division, losing just two games during the month of October, and holding a 17–6–1 record at the end of November. However, the team slowed down afterwards, posting a combined 12–12–3 record through December and January, including a 1–5–2 slump in the eight games prior to the All-Star break. The Golden Knights recovered after the break, however; despite a variety of injuries sidelining Thompson, Hill, and a returning Brossoit for varying periods, the Golden Knights went on a tear through the final three months of the season, finishing out 22–4–5. In addition, the team acquired forwards Ivan Barbashev and Teddy Blueger at the trade deadline for scoring depth, as well as longtime Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick to address the multitude of goaltender injuries. During this period, the Golden Knights also became the first team to win four consecutive games with four different starting goaltenders, as rookie Jiri Patera became the fifth goaltender to start for Vegas during the season. After clinching a playoff berth on March 30, 2023, Vegas defeated the Seattle Kraken in their final regular season game on April 13, narrowly beating out the Edmonton Oilers for both the Pacific Division championship and first seed in the Western Conference.
In the playoffs, the Golden Knights faced off against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, in a rematch of the 2018 conference finals; after a 5–1 loss in game 1, the Golden Knights won four straight to win the series in five games. Proceeding to the second round, Vegas defeated the division rival Oilers in six games, despite an injury to Brossoit in game 3 necessitating Hill taking over as goaltender. The conference finals saw a rematch of the 2020 series, as the Golden Knights faced the Dallas Stars once again; avenging their prior loss, Vegas won the series and their second Western Conference championship in six games, despite Dallas forcing two additional games after Vegas led the series 3–0. The Golden Knights ultimately faced the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. Vegas won the Finals in five games, including a dominant 9–3 victory in game 5, to win their first Stanley Cup championship, as well as Las Vegas' first championship in any of the "big 4" North American sports leagues. Jonathan Marchessault, who led the team in playoff goals, would win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs. Additionally, the Golden Knights fulfilled the prediction of owner Bill Foley, who had previously stated the franchise's goals were "playoffs in three, cup in six," with the 2022–23 season being the franchise's sixth. The Knights became the youngest team to win the Stanley Cup since the NHL's first major expansion in 1967, beating the previous record set by the Philadelphia Flyers, who won the Cup in 1974, their seventh season.
The Golden Knights entered the 2023–24 season retaining the majority of their Cup-winning roster, agreeing to extensions with Barbashev, Hill, and Brayden Pachal several weeks after the Finals. However, Blueger, Brossoit, and Quick departed in free agency, while original Golden Knight Reilly Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, ending his six-year tenure with the franchise. For the second consecutive season, Vegas started the season at the top of the Pacific Division, going 11–0–1 over their first twelve games, with no regulation losses in October; their seven-game season-opening win streak set the record for the longest season-opening winning streak of any defending champion, surpassing the record of five previously set by the 1985–86 Edmonton Oilers and 1920–21 Ottawa Senators.
The team again faltered in the months afterward, though, with another rash of injuries between November and February resulting in the NHL debuts of Lukas Cormier, Mason Morelli, and 2020 first-round pick Brendan Brisson. January also saw the Golden Knights compete in the 2024 Winter Classic on New Year's Day, facing off against Seattle at T-Mobile Park in their second outdoor game; Vegas ultimately lost 3–0, becoming the first team to be shut out in the Winter Classic. Business changes also occurred mid-season, as the Maloof family sold the bulk of their shares to majority owner Foley in early January, with only Adrienne Maloof maintaining a minority stake. After a short winning period in late January that featured Hill's return from a two-month injury, as well as Pachal's loss to the Calgary Flames on waivers, the team celebrated its first 1,000th-game ceremony on February 12, 2024, as defenseman Alex Pietrangelo played his 1,000th NHL game. However, the team slumped heavily after the All-Star break, recording a 2–8–1 record between February 12 and March 7, endangering their playoff chances. In an attempt to bolster the roster, the Golden Knights acquired Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha at the trade deadline, later signing Hanifin to an eight-year extension to begin the following season; this was followed by a 6–0–1 surge through late March, culminating in the Golden Knights clinching a playoff berth on April 12. As the second wild card, Vegas again faced off against the Central Division champion Dallas Stars in a rematch of the past year's conference finals; despite winning the first two games of the series, the Golden Knights would ultimately lose the series in seven games, ending their title defense in the first round.
Coaching History[]
- Gerard Gallant, 2017–2020
- Peter DeBoer, 2020–2022
- Bruce Cassidy, 2022–present
Rivals[]
San Jose Sharks:[]
- The Knights have faced the Sharks in consecutive postseasons, eliminating them in 2018 and then getting eliminated by them in 2019. The Golden Knights have a record of 21-7-4 against the Sharks all-time. The Vegas Golden Knights are also 7-6-0 versus the Sharks in the playoffs all-time.
Los Angeles Kings:[]
- Of course, there's also the divisional rivalry between both clubs. The two teams are a four-hour drive from each other (with a pitstop in Barstow, of course). The Kings also have an all-time record of 15-15-2 against the Golden Knights.
Dallas Stars:[]
- The teams have faced off in the postseason twice in 2023, and 2024. The Vegas Golden Knights have a 12-3-3 record against the Stars all-time. The Vegas Golden Knights also have a 9-10-0 record against the Stars in the playoffs all-time.
Minor league affiliates[]
On May 16, 2017, the Golden Knights entered a multi-year affiliation agreement with a minor league team, the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. Like most NHL–AHL affiliation arrangements, the Golden Knights were able to transfer players to and from the Wolves. Although the Wolves were the Golden Knights affiliate, the two teams do not share the same ownership. In addition to the Wolves, the Golden Knights were affiliated with the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL for the 2017–18 season, however, the Mallards ceased operations after the one season.
On August 21, 2018, the Golden Knights entered a one-year affiliation agreement with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL for the 2018–19 season.
On February 6, 2020, Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced the sale of the San Antonio Rampage franchise to the Golden Knights organization. It was later announced on February 28, that the Rampage franchise was approved to relocate to the Henderson/Las Vegas area by the AHL. On May 28, the name of the relocated franchise was revealed to be the Henderson Silver Knights, mimicking the logo style and aura of their parent club. The shield-shaped logo features a silver-colored Destrier, with eyes that are the same color gold used in the logo for the Golden Knights. The Silver Knights began play in the 2020–21 season at Orleans Arena, while Dollar Loan Center was under construction.
On May 19, 2022, the Golden Knights announced a one-year affiliation agreement with the expansion Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL, through the 2022–23 season.
On July 16, 2024, the Golden Knights announced a multi-year affiliation agreement with the expansion Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL, resulting in Nevada hosting both of the franchise's minor-league affiliates.
Facts[]
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Arena: T-Mobile Arena
Players[]
- Cody Eakin
- Mark Stone
- Jon Merrill
- James Neal
- Luca Sbisa
- Reilly Smith
See also[]
- San Jose Sharks
- Stanley Cup Finals
- 2017 NHL Expansion
Team Information[]
Team Name[]
The Golden Knights' mascor Chance
The team's name includes "Knights" as an homage to the Black Knights of the United States Military Academy, Foley's alma mater and because knights were (according to Foley), "the epitome of the warrior class".
Foley had hoped to name his team the Black Knights, but dropped that plan after encountering resistance from federal officials. He was unable call the team the "Vegas Knights" due to the London Knights owning the "Knights" name in Canada.
"Golden" was included in the name because gold is, as Foley stated, the "No. 1 metal", and because Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the country.
"Las" was omitted from the team's name because (according to Foley) residents tend to refer to the city simply as "Vegas" and because a four-word name would have been too long.
The United States Army expressed concern after the Golden Knights' name was announced, because their parachute team uses the same nickname.
An objection was also raised by the College of Saint Rose because its sports teams use the same name; the Vegas team's initial trademark application was denied as a result, but was later approved on appeal.
Logos and Colors[]
The team's primary logo is a barbute, superimposed on a black and gold seal, with a V-shaped opening.
The secondary logo is two crossing swords behind a red star, designed to resemble a star found on the landmark Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign.
The team's primary color was steel gray which is said to represent "strength and durability"it was in use from 2017-2022. In 2022 Vegas announced that Solif Gold would be it's primary color going forward.
The other team colors are grey, red (found in the Las Vegas skyline and at Red Rock Canyon), and black (for "power and intensity").
Mascot[]
The Golden Knights' mascot is a Gila monster named Chance. He was unveiled at the team's second home game on October 13, 2017.
Players & Personnel[]
Head Coaches[]
- Gerard Gallant (2017–present)
General Managers[]
- George McPhee (2016–present)
Retired Numbers[]
Even though Vegas has not itself retired any numbers, the team is not able to issue the jersey number #99 to any of its players as that number was retired league-wide in honor of Wayne Gretzky at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.
Media[]
AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (formerly Root Sports) is the regional television rightsholder for all Golden Knights games not broadcast nationally by NBCSN or NBC.
The team's designated market includes Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and parts of Arizona & California.
The Golden Knights games on AT&T SportsNet are called by former Boston Bruins radio announcer Dave Goucher on play-by-play, and Shane Hnidy, who previously worked color for the Winnipeg Jets on TSN.
The team has a three-year radio deal with Lotus Broadcasting. Lotus airs the team's games on its Fox Sports Radio affiliate, KRLV 1340/98.9.
One game a week is also aired on the company's ESPN Deportes Radio affiliate, KENO 1460, making the team one of only three in the NHL to offer Spanish-language broadcasts
Players[]
- Cody Eakin
- Mark Stone
- Jon Merrill
- James Neal
- Luca Sbisa
- Reilly Smith