Golden Knights Week: Connelly Scores in His Debut, a 5-2 Opening Win, Karlsson Stays, and Games Move to X 107.9

by Ryan Rose

Beat 1: A 5-2 Opening Win in Ryan Craig's First Game as Coach

The Golden Knights started their 10th season the way fans hoped. They beat Chicago 5-2 in front of 17,838 fans at T-Mobile Arena. It was the first NHL win for head coach Ryan Craig, who ran the Henderson Silver Knights for three seasons before taking over in Vegas.

Here is how the scoring went. Victor Olofsson opened it on the power play in the first period, with Jack Eichel on the assist. Trevor Connelly made it 2-0 later in the period. Chicago got one back in the second on a Jordan Greenway goal, but Eichel answered to make it 3-1. Patrick Kane pulled Chicago within one early in the third. Less than a minute later, Noah Hanifin scored to make it 4-2, and captain Mark Stone added an empty-net goal to finish it 5-2.

Goalie Carter Hart made 24 saves on 26 shots. Eichel had a goal and two assists, according to the team's game recap, and his goal was the 700th point of his NHL career. The team also said Eichel is the third player in NHL history with three-point nights in three straight season openers.

There is a fun streak here too. Vegas is now 7-0-1 all time on opening night. That means the Golden Knights have earned at least a point in all eight of their season openers.

Coach Craig was happy with how his bench handled the big moments. "I will say, real happy to see how our bench reacted for him and how excited everybody was for him," Craig told the Review-Journal, talking about Connelly's goal. "Just a really special moment for Trevor and his family."

Beat 2: Trevor Connelly Scores in His NHL Debut

If you followed last week's roundup, you know Connelly's story. He was the Golden Knights' first-round pick in 2024. Injuries kept him out for the past two years. This fall was his first real shot, and he spent camp trying to earn a spot on the opening roster.

He made it, and he did not waste any time. About 15 minutes into his first NHL game, defenseman Brayden McNabb let a shot go from the point. Connelly got a piece of it, settled the puck down, and put home the rebound. Arms up, he headed straight for the glass. He was named the first star of the game.

Connelly also finished with four shots on goal, tied with linemate Tomas Hertl and Mitch Marner for the team lead. He played on a line with Hertl and Olofsson, two veterans with more than 1,300 NHL games between them. The Review-Journal's headline summed up how calm he looked: "Cool as a cucumber."

His teammates were thrilled. "He's been awesome all camp," Eichel said. "He's a great part of our locker room. He's obviously a special player. So happy to see him get his first." McNabb, who set up the goal, put it simply: "You love to see it. He had a great camp and he deserved it."

It was not a perfect night for the rookie. A miscommunication in the third period led to Kane's goal for Chicago, the kind of mistake young players learn from. But the celebration ran so long that Connelly spent the hours after the game with his family. That is a nice detail for any hockey parent who has driven a kid to a 6 a.m. practice and wondered where it all leads.

Two players with sticks chase a puck toward a hockey net on an open sheet of ice, a reminder of the rink time young players put in before a debut like Trevor Connelly's

Beat 3: Original Misfit William Karlsson Signs a Two-Year Extension

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, the Golden Knights signed center William Karlsson to a two-year extension. The deal carries a $6.75 million cap hit and keeps him in Vegas through the 2028-29 season. Karlsson, 33, was about to enter the final year of the eight-year, $47.2 million contract he signed in 2019.

Karlsson is one of the last Original Misfits, the players who came to Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. The team took him from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has now played 570 regular-season games for Vegas. Only fellow Misfits Brayden McNabb, with 648, and Shea Theodore, with 582, have played more.

His numbers tell the story. Karlsson scored 43 goals in the expansion year, which is still a franchise record and a career high. He has 175 goals and 403 points with Vegas. He holds team records for shorthanded goals, with 15, and shorthanded points, with 26. Longtime fans still talk about his between-the-legs shorthanded goal on March 31, 2018, that clinched the Pacific Division. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2018 for sportsmanship.

He was a big part of the 2023 Stanley Cup team, with 17 points in 22 playoff games. Last season was tougher. A hamstring injury cost him 68 games, but he came back for the second round of the playoffs as the Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in nine years. Vegas led Carolina 2-1 in that series before losing the last three games, and Karlsson broke his wrist in Game 5. He leads all active skaters with a plus-55 rating in the playoffs.

The Karlsson deal follows a two-year extension for captain Mark Stone on Sept. 12. The team still has four players headed for unrestricted free agency after this season: forwards Victor Olofsson and Nic Dowd, defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and goalie Carter Hart.

Beat 4: Golden Knights Games Move to X 107.9

This one is practical. On Sept. 28, the Golden Knights named Beasley Media Group their official audio partner under a multiyear deal. Every Golden Knights game now airs on X 107.9 (KVGS FM) in English. In Spanish, games air on 105.7 Maxima (KOAS FM). The move ends the team's partnership with Lotus Broadcasting.

The voices are the same ones longtime fans know. Dan D'Uva calls play-by-play and Gary Lawless handles analysis, both in their 10th season. Doug Lattuca hosts pregame, postgame and intermission coverage. On the Spanish broadcast, Jesus Lopez calls play-by-play with Alex Romo as the analyst.

There is more on the new station too. The VGK Insider Show, hosted by Daren Millard, airs weekdays from 5 to 6 p.m. on X 107.9 and features general manager Kelly McCrimmon and players. That time slot lines up with a lot of commutes home across the valley.

The Henderson Silver Knights are part of the deal as well. All 72 of their regular-season games, plus any Calder Cup Playoff games, will air on X 107.9 and 96.3 KKLZ-HD2. Brian McCormack calls play-by-play and Darren Eliot is the color analyst. If your family follows both teams, one preset now covers most of your hockey listening.

A car dashboard with climate controls and numbered radio preset buttons, a reminder for Las Vegas drivers to save X 107.9 now that Golden Knights games have a new radio home

Beat 5: PWHL Las Vegas Sets Its First-Ever Game for Dec. 6

Las Vegas' new women's pro hockey team now has a date for its first game. PWHL Las Vegas opens its first season at home against fellow expansion team PWHL Detroit on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. It is an all-expansion matchup to start the league's fourth season.

That makes for a big hockey weekend on the Strip. The Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets at T-Mobile Arena the night before, on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Before the opener, there is hockey closer to home. Training camps across the league open Nov. 18. Las Vegas will play preseason scrimmages against the Minnesota Frost on Nov. 22 and the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Nov. 24 at America First Center in Henderson.

The home opener will be the first game for coach Kim Weiss, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. It should also be the league debut for Tessa Janecke, the No. 3 pick in this year's PWHL Draft. Las Vegas got that pick from Detroit in exchange for the signing rights to Hilary Knight, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, who signed with Las Vegas during the expansion process but did not want to continue her career here. That trade is why the Review-Journal's headline puts Knight and Detroit in the same line. Las Vegas also drafted Wisconsin forward Lacey Eden with the fifth pick.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Put these five beats together and you get a picture of a hockey town that keeps growing up. The Golden Knights are in their 10th season. A player the team drafted and waited on through two injury years just scored in his first game. A player from the very first roster just signed on for two more years. And a women's pro team is weeks away from its first puck drop.

For families, the Connelly and Craig stories hit close to home. Craig coached in Henderson before getting the top job in Vegas. Connelly fought back from injuries to earn his spot. Kids who play at local rinks can see a real path in both stories, and parents can point to them on the drive to practice.

The radio change matters for daily life, too. A lot of Las Vegas fans catch games in the car, on the way home from work, or on the way back from a kid's game. If you do not update your preset, you will miss the broadcast. The same goes for Silver Knights fans, since those games moved to X 107.9 as well.

The PWHL news may be the biggest one for young players. Girls who play hockey in the valley will have a pro team of their own to watch at T-Mobile Arena, with preseason games in Henderson. Role models matter, and seeing pros play at a rink you know makes the sport feel real.

And game nights shape how the valley feels. T-Mobile Arena crowds, watch parties at neighborhood bars and restaurants, and kids in jerseys at school the next morning are all part of living here. Eight straight opening nights with at least a point gives fans plenty to cheer about.

Young children in helmets learning to skate on an ice rink, like the kids in Las Vegas youth hockey programs who now have both an NHL and a PWHL team to follow

What Happens Next

The Golden Knights play again at home on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena. It is the next chance to see whether Connelly can build on his debut and whether Craig's team keeps rolling.

On the contract front, the Karlsson deal wraps up what the Review-Journal called the team's most important piece of contract business. Four pending unrestricted free agents remain: Olofsson, Dowd, Wotherspoon and Hart. Those names will be worth watching as the season goes on, especially Hart, who started the opener in net.

For the radio switch, the new setup is already live. Tune to X 107.9 for English and 105.7 Maxima for Spanish, and look for the VGK Insider Show on weekdays at 5 p.m.

For PWHL Las Vegas, the next dates are Nov. 18 for camp, Nov. 22 and 24 for the Henderson scrimmages, and Dec. 6 for the first game. The team still does not have a nickname, so a name reveal is another moment for local fans to watch for.

Ryan's Take

As a Las Vegas real estate agent who talks with a lot of hockey families, I love a week like this. Connelly's goal is the kind of moment kids remember. When a young player scores in his first NHL game, every mite and squirt player in the valley goes back to the rink the next day a little more fired up. That energy is a real part of family life in Las Vegas now.

I also think about where hockey families live. Practices happen at rinks like City National Arena in Summerlin and America First Center in Henderson, and PWHL Las Vegas will scrimmage at America First Center this November. Game nights are at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip. When families move here, the drive to the rink and to the arena is a real part of how they pick a neighborhood. Summerlin and the southwest valley put you close to one rink and a short drive to the Strip. Henderson puts you close to another. If hockey is a big part of your household, tell your agent early so rink access is on the list from the start. It is one of those details that makes a house feel like the right fit.

What You Can Do

First, save X 107.9 in your car before Friday's game against Anaheim. If someone in your house prefers Spanish, save 105.7 Maxima too. If you follow the Silver Knights, X 107.9 carries their games as well.

Second, mark your calendar for PWHL Las Vegas. The preseason scrimmages are Nov. 22 and Nov. 24 at America First Center in Henderson, and the first-ever game is Sunday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. If you have a daughter who plays, or who might want to, a first-ever game is a special one to see in person. Watch the team's official channels for ticket details.

Third, if your kids are inspired by Connelly's debut, look into youth programs at the local rinks. Ask about learn-to-skate and beginner options, and ask about practice times, because ice time fills up fast. Season X is off to a great start, and it is a good time to be a hockey family in Las Vegas.

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

Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com