Three Tahoe Knight Monsters receive ECHL midseason All-Star honors

The Vegas Golden Knights organization and its fans have been proud of one of their minor league affiliates this season. No, it isn't the Henderson Silver Knights, who are in last place in the Pacific Division with 26 points (and a record of 12-25-2). Instead, it's the Tahoe Knight Monsters, who've impressed the ECHL (and hockey) crowd in their inaugural season.

The Knight Monsters are second in the Western Conference behind the Toledo Walleye with 51 points (Toledo has 53). They're also in first place in the Mountain Division, running a similar story to their NHL brethren. Will they make the Kelly Cup when the season's over? Stay tuned because now's a good time to watch hockey and stay at the cabin in Lake Tahoe.

But the new kids on the block have had three players with the right stuff (yes, they GOT IT) all season. After all, you can't be atop the Mountain Division without superstars leading the way. That's like having peanut butter without the jelly or William Karlsson and spaghetti without boiled eggs.

The players in question are Simon Pinard, Sloan Stanick, and Brennan Kapcheck. The trio earned the honor of being named to the ECHL's 2024-25 midseason All-Star team. These are the mystery men behind the Knight Monsters's incredible start. You can say... they're "Hangin' Tough."

How the three Tahoe Knight Monsters are doing it

Let's start with Sloan Stanick, who's received plenty of love on this platform. The former star of the Prince Albert Raiders has 17 goals and 23 assists in 36 games, averaging 1.11 points per game. He's been the team's unequivocal leader, even getting the call-up to the Henderson Silver Knights for two games in 2024-25. Stanick's stock is quickly rising within the organization, making him one of the most promising prospects around.

Next is Simon Pinard, a lesser-known person on here. The left winger might not be the biggest guy on the ice (Pinard is 5'11" and weighs 190 lbs.). However, the 23-year-old has 20 goals and 16 assists in 32 games this season. He's averaging 1.13 points per game in 2024-25, making him a valuable forward for the Tahoe Knight Monsters. Like Stanick, he also received the call-up this season with Henderson, playing four games.

Then there's Brennan Kapcheck, a defenseman for the Knight Monsters. Like Pinard, he's not exactly the biggest defender when playing (Kapcheck is 5'9" and weighs 161 lbs.). However, the 28-year-old does have 21 assists in 37 games with Tahoe this season. Although he won't get an opportunity with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, he serves as Tahoe's version of Shea Theodore. He quarterbacks the attack well and sets his teammates up for incredible scoring opportunities.

The latest honor indicates the trio will keep things interesting at the ECHL level. The Knight Monsters have plenty of solid talent to make a Kelly Cup Final run, imitating the same story told by the Golden Knights in their inaugural season. It would be a testament to how well Vegas is run from top to bottom, making them the cream of the hockey crop.