The Vegas Golden Knights (0-0-1) face the San Jose Sharks (0-0-0) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at SAP Center for the second game of a back-to-back to open the 2025-26 regular season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Streaming: ESPN+, HULU
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340
Pregame Show: Scripps Sports (Vegas 34 in Vegas; full network) and KnightTime+ at 6:30 p.m.
NOTES
Noah Hanifin played in his 100th game as a Golden Knight on Wednesday night.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored the first hat trick on Opening Knight in franchise history and became the fourth Golden Knight to score three goals in one period.
Jack Eichel signed an eight-year contract extension through the 2033-34 season worth an average annual value of $13,500,000 on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the season-opener for Vegas.
Eichel recorded his fourth four-point game as a Golden Knight and second straight four-point season-opener in Wednesday’s loss to the Kings.
The Golden Knights posted a 21-13-7 record on the road in the 2024-25 season.
The Golden Knights have never lost in regulation to the Sharks on the road. The club owns a 14-0-3 record at SAP Center.
For the first time since their inaugural season, second time overall, Vegas will play back-to-back games to open a season.
VGK MILESTONE WATCH
Reilly Smith – Three points away from 300 points as a Golden Knight
William Karlsson – Four points away from 400 points as a Golden Knight
Brett Howden – Eight points away from 100 points as a Golden Knight
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
Tomas Hertl – Three assists away from 300 career assists
Adin Hill – Four wins away from 100 career wins
Colton Sissons – Five goals away from 100 career goals
Tomas Hertl – Eight games away from 800 career games
VGK SCORING LEADERS
Jack Eichel – 4 points (1G, 3A)
Pavel Dorofeyev – 3 points (3G, 0A)
Ivan Barbashev – 2 points (1G, 1A)
Mitch Marner – 2 points (0G, 2A)
Mark Stone – 2 points (0G, 2A)
BY THE NUMBERS
2 – Pavel Dorofeyev’s two power-play goals are the most power-play goals by a skater this season.
3 – Dorofeyev’s three goals in the second period on Wednesday night leads the NHL in goals for a single skater.
4 – Jack Eichel’s four points on Opening Knight gave him the scoring lead in the NHL.
5 – The Golden Knights are tied with the Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings for the most goals scored in a single game to start the 2025-26 season.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Knights fell on Opening Knight, 6-5, in a shootout against the Los Angeles Kings to open the 2025-26 season. Pavel Dorofeyev scored the first hat trick of the NHL season in the loss. Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev had the remaining goals for the Golden Knights to give them a 5-3 lead late in the third period. Goals by Trevor Moore and Brandt Clarke erased a 5-3 deficit for the Kings where they eventually won in a shootout, with Moore scoring the game-winning-goal.
2024-25 SEASON SERIES
The Golden Knights posted a 3-0-0 record against the Sharks in the 2024-25 season. In the first matchup, Vegas beat San Jose, 7-3, on Oct. 26, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena. Pavel Dorofeyev (1G, 2A) and Mark Stone (1G, 2A) had three-point nights. Brett Howden (2G), Tomas Hertl (2A), Jack Eichel (1G, 1A), and William Karlsson (1G, 1A) each had two-point games in the victory. Howden’s two-goal game notched him the first regular season multi-goal game of his career. The Golden Knights earned their second victory against the Sharks on Dec. 27, 2024, with a 6-3 win at SAP Center. Six different Golden Knights tallied a goal: Noah Hanifin (1G), Stone (1G, 1A), Brayden McNabb (1G, 1A), Eichel (1G, 1A), Dorofeyev (1G), and Howden (1G). McNabb’s two-point night was his first of two multi-point games in the 2024-25 regular season. The teams met for the final time on Jan. 7 at SAP Center with Vegas taking the 4-2 win. Shea Theodore (2A) and Stone (1G, 1A) each recorded multi-point nights. Zach Whitecloud and Hertl tallied the other goals in the victory for the club.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The San Jose Sharks will open their 2025-26 season against the Golden Knights on Thursday. The Sharks had a busy offseason adding veteran players to their young roster such as Ryan Reaves, Jeff Skinner, and Dmitry Orlov. San Jose’s second overall draft pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Michael Misa, also made the opening day roster and is set to make his NHL debut on Thursday. In the 2024-25 regular season, Macklin Celebrini led the Sharks with 63 points (25G, 38A), followed by William Eklund with 58 points (17G, 41A) and Tyler Toffoli with 54 points (30G, 24A).
A VEGAS VICTORY WOULD…
- Mark the 362nd win in franchise history
- Give the Golden Knights a 28-2-5 all-time record against San Jose
- Give the Golden Knights their first road win of Season IX
KEYS TO THE GAME
Piece to the Puzzle: Jack Eichel inked an eight-year extension prior to the Golden Knights’ Opening Knight on Wednesday. Eichel believes the Golden Knights are set up for success and believes that is why Vegas is such a special place to stay. Eichel opened his second-straight season with four-points on Wednesday.
Chemistry Cookin’: Now that the Golden Knights have one game under their belt, Head Coach Bruce Cassidy believes the team will be better heading into Thursday’s matchup. The team will be settled in more and make plays that increases scoring chances to lift the Golden Knights to their first win.
