At just 20 years old, 2024 Vegas Golden Knights first-round pick Trevor Connelly can’t order a drink in the US or rent a car without getting hit with an underage driver’s fee. But when he’s on the ice, he plays with a maturity that far exceeds his age.
It’s been two years since the Golden Knights selected Connelly with the 19th overall pick. However, because of a string of bad injury luck, he’s just now attending his first training camp.
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His energy is contagious.
“It’s exciting,” beamed Connelly following Thursday’s skate. “[There are] a little bit of nerves with it being the first time, but it’s exciting. It’s so fun to be out there on the ice. It’s great energy and a great group. It’s a lot of fun.”
The nerves Connelly spoke about weren’t evident on the ice. Of course, it probably didn’t hurt matters that the young winger opened camp skating on a line with two established veterans in Tomáš Hertl and Victor Olofsson.
“It’s an incredible experience playing with [Hertl] and Olofsson,” Connelly gushed. “With it being my first camp, having those guys talk to me between drills and stuff helps a lot… There were different times on the ice today where Hertl was giving me little tips on things that will work better at the next level. I’m just trying to be a sponge around these guys and listen and learn from them.”
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Hertl and Olofsson aren’t the only players to go out of their way to make Connelly feel comfortable.
“This whole room [has helped],” said Connelly. “There are so many great leaders in this room; Nic Dowd is one of them. He’s a louder guy, and he’s always coming to check on guys. You see it every day in the gym; he says hi to everybody. He’s a guy I feel really comfortable around, and he’s definitely helped me a lot.”
Connelly is fresh off a summer where he focused on bulking up. That has certainly helped– on Thursday, he told the media that he’s put on “about 12 pounds since Development Camp,” and it shows– but he’ll never wow you with his size. Instead, he commands attention with his pure, raw talent and playmaking abilities.
“[I’m trying to] just be myself,” said Connelly. “[I want to] play the game that I’ve always played and be smart, use my IQ. I look to make my teammates better, and, when I get a chance, put the puck in the back of the net. And I’ve worked a lot on my 200-foot game and my compete over the years as well.”
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Connelly is an exciting player, and he’s the most talented prospect that the Golden Knights have had in their system for quite some time. Both general manager Kelly McCrimmon and head coach Ryan Craig said as much in their separate media availabilities on Thursday.
“Trevor is different from any player in our organization,” McCrimmon said on Thursday. “Elite hockey sense, elite talent. What he did last year in the American Hockey League as a 19-year-old… his ceiling is tremendously high.”
“Trevor has a skill set that he brings to our group that not a lot of people in our organization have,” Craig agreed. “I saw it firsthand last year in Henderson; I thought he took big steps as a player, a person, and a teammate.”
In Kelly McCrimmon’s eyes, it’s not a matter of if Connelly will become a mainstay in the NHL lineup, but when.
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“It’s going to be a matter of what the timing is. Does he kick the door down immediately, or does it take a little more time? Those are the things that we’ll watch play out,” said McCrimmon. “I think he’s going to be an exceptionally good player. It’s just a matter of what the timeline looks like between now and then.”
As for Connelly, he’s just taking things day by day.
“Every day, practice or game, I try to go out there and give it my best effort,” said Connelly. “Don’t try to do too much or too little; just go out there and try to be confident in my game.”
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