Trevor Connelly continues his upward ascent with the latest All-American honor

Vegas Golden Knights fans know how talented Trevor Connelly is. The former first-round pick has excelled in the amateur scene, despite prior controversy and past injuries. Like, this dude scored 87 goals and 50 assists in a single season... in 67 games. That takes a ton of talent to do that.

But the latest accolade shows how special he truly is. I mean, he's going to represent the United States during the World Junior Championship, as announced on Sunday.

Currently, the native of Tustin, California, plays for the Henderson Silver Knights. Of course, he's back to putting up points on the board, scoring three goals and four assists in 11 games this season. Those numbers will fetch him a position within the Golden Knights lineup in the future, especially if he nails the World Junior Championship this season.

Trevor Connelly proves that he belongs with the Vegas Golden Knights with the latest honor

Looking at his last World Junior Championship appearance, Connelly was noticeable. He scored one goal and three assists in seven games, helping the Americans play "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd and becoming the tournament champions.

He has the necessary experience to carry the United States again, specifically as a scoring winger. He's an absolute burner of a player who can carry the offense. Connelly also has the on-ice vision to add to the attack, setting up his teammates for prime scoring opportunities. That makes him an undeniable threat in any situation, putting opposing teams on notice.

That will be what hockey fans will see when the tournament rolls around on December 26. The United States is looking to win once again and needs as much scoring as possible. What better person to do the job than Connelly?

After all, he's been in all big stages during his amateur days. It could put him one step closer to getting to the Golden Knights, especially if he has a big performance. Now, that would be worthy of a "Free Bird."