Vegas Golden Knights: Fresh faces highlight start of development camp

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 22: Kaedan Korczak poses after being selected 41st overall by the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 22: Kaedan Korczak poses after being selected 41st overall by the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images)

Did someone say it was the offseason? It certainly doesn’t feel that way for the Vegas Golden Knights who are motoring on just days after the conclusion of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Following a hugely productive two days in Vancouver where they replenished their farm system and then some, the Vegas Golden Knights will now get the chance to run the rule over their latest batch of prospects.

As is now tradition after the draft, the Golden Knights will be hosting a Development Camp this week, which will be held from Tuesday, June 25 through Saturday, June 29.

The franchise announced their roster and updated schedule for the 2019 Development Camp, which will present fans with a first glimpse of the players drafted over the weekend.

All on-ice practices of the Development Camp are open to the public and media, while Development Camp participants and Golden Knights staff members will take part in a special community service event on Tuesday, June 25, which will see the orginization team up with Deacon Tom Roberts of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada to prepare and serve a meal for more than 1,000 of Southern Nevada’s most vulnerable men, women and children.

The Golden Knights have excelled with their work in the community since entering the NHL in 2017, and this is an excellent opportunity for their latest batch of fresh faces to start building relationships with their fans and the wider community.

In terms of the Development Camp itself, there will be 43 players in attendance in total, broken down into 24 forwards, 15 defensemen and four goalies.

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There will be some familiar faces on show with high-end prospects Cody Glass and Nic Hague looking to make an impact and stake their claim for a full-time roster spot in the NHL for 2019-20.

Meanwhile, seven of the eight players taken by the Golden Knights at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft will be present once the Development Camp gets underway today, although 17th overall pick Peyton Krebs won’t be as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles.

Jimmy Schuldt, Zach Whitecloud and Paul Cotter will also not be present at this year’s Development Camp.

However, Vegas fans will get to see fellow 2019 draftees Isaiah Saville, Layton Ahac, Kaedan Korczak, Ryder Donovan, Pavel Dorofeyev, Marcus Kallionkieli and Mason Primeau strut their stuff in a Golden Knights uniform for the very first time.

All in all, there will be plenty of intriguing names to keep an eye on for Knights fans at this year’s Development Camp which has become a staple of the offseason for all 31 NHL teams.

It will also prove an invaluable experience for those drafted at the weekend to impress coaches from the very get-go, while more established prospects such as Glass, Hague and Xavier Bouchard will be keen to prove that they ready to take the next leap in their careers.

After collecting quite the haul of prospects at the weekend, it will be interesting in particular to see how the likes of Ahac, Korczak, Dorofeyev and Primeau fare in their first Development Camp.

This camp can also be the springboard for some players to emerge from the pack and become a surprise contender for an opening night roster spot in the majors.

Whatever happens, it should be a fun and competitive week for all involved and it gives the die-hard fans among us an early opportunity to satisfy those hockey cravings.

Here is the full roster for the 2019 Vegas Golden Knights Development Camp, presented in numerical order:

1. Dylan Ferguson (G)

9. Cody Glass (F)

10. Charles-Antoine Roy (F)

12. Mike Vorlicky (D)

13. Pavel Dorofeyev (F)

14. Nicolas Hague (D)

20. Kaedan Korczak (D)

24. Garrett Pinoniemi (F)

31. Isaiah Saville (G)

32. Jiri Patera (G)

34. Jordan Kooy (G)

39. Jake Leschyshyn (F)

42. Slava Demin (D)

44. Layton Ahac (D)

46. Jonas Rondbjerg (F)

47. Ryder Donovan (F)

49. Peter Diliberatore (D)

51. Jack Dugan (F)

52. Dylan Coghlan (D)

53. Marcus Kallionkieli (F)

54. Jermaine Lowen (F)

57. Mason Primeau (F)

60. Nick Campoli (F)

64. Ben Jones (F)

65. Mitchell Chaffee (F)

70. Lucas Elvenes (F)

74. Kirby Proctor (D)

76. Gustaf Westlund (F)

77. Tim Theocharidis (D)

79. Keenan Suthers (F)

82. Xavier Bouchard (D)

83. Taro Jentzsch (F)

84. Mick Messner (F)

85. Connor Corcoran (D)

86. Zach Uens (D)

87. Brandon Kruse (F)

90. Zak Smith (F)

91. Cole MacKay (F)

93. Bray Crowder (D)

94. Brayden Pachal (D)

95. Cullen McLean (F)

96. Wyatt Bongiovanni (F)

97. Mason Lohrei

And here is the full schedule for the Vegas Golden Knights 2019 Development Camp (Times are subject to change, all times Pacific)

When: Tuesday, June 25

Who: Vegas Golden Knights Prospects and Staff

10:15 am – Golden Knights prospects and staff arrive for meal prep

10:30 am – Community meal begins

Where: Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, 1501 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89101

Tuesday, June 25

– Team Grey Practice, 2:15 PM, City National Arena

– Team White Practice, 4:15 PM, City National Arena

Wednesday, June 26

– Team White Practice, 9:15 AM, City National Arena

– Team Grey Practice, 11:30 AM, City National Arena

– Team White Practice, 3:00 PM, City National Arena

– Team Grey Practice, 5:15 PM, City National Arena

Thursday, June 27

– Team White Practice, 9:15 AM, City National Arena

– Team Grey Practice, 11:15 AM, City National Arena

– Joint Scrimmage, 4:00 PM, City National Arena

Friday, June 28

– Joint Scrimmage, 10:00 AM, City National Arena

Saturday, June 29

– Joint Scrimmage, 9:15 AM, City National Arena

In addition to the usual suspects and the new batch of prospects, the Golden Knights have also invited a slew of undrafted players to Development Camp, including Garrett Pinoniemi, Cole MacKay, Keenan Suthers and Taro Jentzsch.

Also, in other news, the Vegas Golden Knights have announced their coaches for the nine Junior Golden Knights teams for the 2019-20 season.

One notable name that stands out is Clayton Stoner, who will join the organization as the team’s 12AA Coach.

Stoner was selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft from the Anaheim Ducks and is a veteran of 360 NHL games, tallying seven goals, 41 assists and 459 penalty minutes in his NHL Career.

The defenseman’s time in Sin City was less successful, however, as he failed to lace up his skates in a single game for the Golden Knights.

We’ll have updates as and when they happen from Development Camp this week, in addition to free agency which gets underway next week.