Golden Knights Cut Camp to 28 and Send Nine to Henderson

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Golden Knights announced that nine players were assigned to AHL Henderson to join Silver Knights training camp. Those nine are Mathieu Cataford, Jackson Hallum, Viliam Kmec, Carl Lindbom, Mitch McLain, Matyas Sapovaliv, Tuomas Uronen, Alex Weiermair and Cameron Whitehead.

Five more players were placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Henderson. They are Jeremy Davies, Jakub Demek, Joe Fleming, Adam Ginning and Jaycob Megna. Waivers give the other 31 NHL teams a short window to claim a player before he can be sent to the minors. For fans, it simply means these five were headed toward Henderson too, unless another team stepped in first.

The team also said Ben Hemmerling, Lukas Cormier and Kai Uchacz remain week-to-week with injuries. They were listed separately from the camp roster. Five junior players, Sean Burick, Will McLaughlin, Mateo Nobert, Noel Pakarinen and Jonah Sivertson, were sent back to their junior teams for the start of the 2026-27 season.

That left 28 players in Golden Knights camp: 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and two goaltenders. The goalies are Carter Hart and Adin Hill. The forwards include familiar names like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, Mitch Marner, William Karlsson, Ivan Barbashev and Nic Dowd, along with players still pushing for a spot, such as rookie Trevor Connelly, the team's 2024 first-round pick. On defense, the list includes Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson, Brayden McNabb and Jeremy Lauzon.

The math tells the story of how fast camp shrinks. After the first cut on Sept. 21, 50 players were still in camp. The Sept. 23 moves removed 19 more players from the camp group, and three injured players were listed on their own. That is how you get from 50 down to 28 in just two days.

The cut came right before the Golden Knights played their final two preseason games at home. Vegas beat the Utah Mammoth 5-4 in overtime on Sept. 24, with Jack Eichel scoring the winner less than a minute into the extra period. Two nights later, the team lost 4-2 to the San Jose Sharks in front of 17,262 fans and finished the preseason 3-1.

A hockey player in a helmet watches teammates skate during a practice, the kind of scene at City National Arena during training camp

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

For most fans, the Golden Knights live at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip. But the team's farm club, the Henderson Silver Knights, plays its home games at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson. That is where most of the players cut on Sept. 23 will spend a big part of their season.

That matters for a simple reason: cost and convenience. Silver Knights tickets cost far less than Golden Knights tickets, and Lee's Family Forum is close to home for a big slice of the valley. Families in Green Valley, Anthem, Inspirada, Cadence and the neighborhoods around Water Street can get to a game without fighting Strip traffic or paying Strip parking prices.

It also means you get to watch players before they become household names. Several of the players sent down on Sept. 23 were in NHL camp with Eichel and Stone just days earlier. Some of them could be called up to Vegas at some point this season if injuries hit. When that happens, Henderson fans will have seen them first.

We did not have to wait long for proof. On Sept. 26, three days after the cut, the Silver Knights beat the Tucson Roadrunners 4-1 in Joel Ward's first game as Henderson head coach. Cataford and Weiermair, two of the nine players assigned that week, both scored. Demek, one of the five placed on waivers, also scored. Lindbom, another of the nine, stopped 26 of 27 shots in goal. So the players who left Vegas camp went right to work for Henderson.

There is a community side, too. The Golden Knights have built three local rinks since they arrived, and all of them run youth programs. City National Arena in Summerlin, America First Center on Water Street in Henderson and Lee's Family Forum are part of daily life for thousands of local hockey families. When pro players move between these buildings, kids at the rink notice. A young player who sees a pro skating at the same building where they take lessons gets a real, local role model.

Finally, roster news gives the whole valley something to talk about. Hockey is part of the local identity now. Whether you are at a coffee shop in Summerlin or a youth practice in Henderson, somebody is going to ask who made the team. This is the answer, at least for now.

Background and History

Every NHL team starts training camp with far more players than it can keep. The Golden Knights opened camp in September with a large group of veterans, prospects, tryout players and junior-aged players. The goal is to see everyone skate, then cut the group down in stages until only the opening-night roster is left.

The first stage came on Sept. 21. That day, the Golden Knights reduced their camp roster by 16 players. Twelve went to Henderson Silver Knights camp, including Jordan Gustafson, Jett Jones, Shane Smith, Pavel Moysevich and Alex Tracy, and four junior players went back to their clubs. That left 50 players in camp. The Sept. 23 move was the second big stage, and it took the group down to 28.

This setup is only possible because the Golden Knights own their minor league team and keep it close by. The Silver Knights moved to Henderson and now play at Lee's Family Forum, while their practice and community rink is America First Center on Water Street. Many NHL teams have farm clubs hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Vegas can send a player to Henderson in the morning and have him on the ice that afternoon.

This season also has extra meaning. The 2026-27 season is Season X, the 10th season in Golden Knights history. The team has become one of the most successful franchises in the league since it started play in 2017-18, including a Stanley Cup in 2022-23. Head coach Ryan Craig is running this camp, and a new Silver Knights head coach, Joel Ward, is running things in Henderson. So there are new voices at both levels deciding who plays where.

It helps to know the three ways a player leaves an NHL camp, because all three happened on Sept. 23. The simplest is a direct assignment. Younger players who are still exempt from waivers can be sent to the AHL at any time, and that is what happened to the nine players who went straight to Henderson. The second path is waivers. Players who are no longer exempt must be offered to every other team first. If nobody claims them, they can be sent to the minors. The third path is a return to junior hockey. Junior-aged players who are not ready for the NHL go back to their junior clubs, where they keep developing and can come back to camp the next fall.

None of these moves is a final verdict on a player. Plenty of NHL regulars spent time in the AHL first, and some of the best stories in hockey start with a player who got cut in September and forced his way back up by January. For Henderson fans, that is the fun part. You get to follow those players while they are still proving themselves.

A black and white photo of a hockey team raising their sticks to salute the crowd after a game

Hockey skates, gloves, a stick and a puck resting on the ice beside a goal net, ready for the Henderson Silver Knights season

What Happens Next

Camp kept moving after Sept. 23. On Sept. 27, the Golden Knights put five more players on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Henderson: forwards Alexander Holtz, Tanner Laczynski and Jonas Rondbjerg, and defensemen Ville Heinola and Antti Tuomisto, according to The Hockey News. All five of them were among the 28 left in camp after the Sept. 23 cut. The team said it would release its official roster on Monday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m. Until that list is out, nothing is final.

Keep an eye on the three injured players, too. Hemmerling, Cormier and Uchacz are all listed as week-to-week. When they are healthy, the team will have to decide where each one fits, and their situations can change quickly once they return to the ice.

Then the games start. Season X opens on Tuesday, Sept. 29, when the Golden Knights host the Chicago Blackhawks at T-Mobile Arena. A few days later, on Saturday, Oct. 3, the Henderson Silver Knights open their home schedule against the Bakersfield Condors at Lee's Family Forum. That game will be the first chance for Henderson fans to see many of the players cut on Sept. 23 skating on home ice.

Over the season, expect plenty of back and forth between the two teams. Call-ups and send-downs happen all the time in pro hockey, especially when injuries pile up. The players on the Henderson roster today are the first ones Vegas will look to when it needs help.

For the players who went to Henderson, the next few weeks are about earning ice time under Joel Ward. The Silver Knights looked sharp in that first preseason win in Tucson, and they killed all four Tucson power plays. A strong start in Henderson is the fastest way for any of these players to get noticed by the staff in Vegas.

Ryan's Take

I love stories like this because they show how much hockey has become part of everyday life here, not just a night out on the Strip. When the Golden Knights send nine players to Henderson, that is nine more reasons for a family in Green Valley or Inspirada to catch a game close to home. Lee's Family Forum and America First Center have become real anchors in Henderson, and the activity around them helps make the neighborhoods nearby feel lively and connected.

When I work with buyers who are moving here from out of state, one of the first things they ask about is what there is to do outside of the casinos. Pro hockey in Henderson, youth hockey at City National Arena in Summerlin, and a Stanley Cup team on the Strip are part of that answer. I will not tell you a hockey arena raises your home value on its own, because that is not how it works. But amenities like these are part of why people choose one part of the valley over another, and they are a big part of the lifestyle that keeps people here once they arrive.

A hockey goalie in white pads takes a break in a red chair, a lighthearted look at players waiting to learn where they will play this season

What You Can Do

If you want to see these players in person, start with the Henderson Silver Knights home opener on Saturday, Oct. 3, against the Bakersfield Condors at Lee's Family Forum. It is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to watch pro hockey in Southern Nevada. Check the Silver Knights schedule for theme nights and giveaway dates if you want to plan a family outing.

If you are a Golden Knights fan, watch for the official roster release on Monday, Sept. 28, and then the Season X opener at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 29. Follow the Golden Knights' official news page for any more transactions, because camp moves can keep coming right up until the season starts. And pay attention to the Silver Knights box scores this fall. The players who stand out in Henderson are usually the first ones called up when Vegas needs help.

If your kids are catching the hockey bug, look into the youth programs at City National Arena in Summerlin, America First Center in Henderson and Lee's Family Forum. Hockey in the valley has grown a lot since the Golden Knights arrived, and rink time can fill up fast. Signing up early is the best way to get a spot.

And if you are thinking about a move within the valley, it is worth thinking about how you actually spend your free time. If your weekends revolve around the rink, living near Summerlin or Henderson can save you a lot of time in the car. I am always happy to talk through which neighborhoods make the most sense for your family's routine, whether that is hockey, school, work or all three.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime.