VEGAS (June 26, 2026) – Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced Friday the team has selected defenseman Juho Piiparinen from Tappara of Finland's Liiga with the 29th-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Vegas originally held the 26th-overall selection following the trade with the New York Rangers earlier in the day that involved Pavel Dorofeyev, but they switched to 28th in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens then 29th in a deal with the Anaheim Ducks, adding additional third and fourth-round picks, respectively, in the process.
Piiparinen split the 2025-26 season between Tappara's U-20 and senior squads, recording three assists in 29 games in the Liiga as well as one goal and 12 assists in 15 appearances with the junior team. He also competed for Finland at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
The 2026 NHL Draft will continue on Saturday starting at 8am PT from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Vegas currently holds picks in the third round (92nd and 95th overall), fourth round (117th overall), fifth round (159th overall), sixth round (191st overall) and seventh round (223rd overall).
ABOUT THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Vegas Golden Knights are a National Hockey League franchise owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment LLC. Established by Owner and Chairman Bill Foley and his family, the Golden Knights were the most successful expansion franchise in North American professional sports history in 2017-18 and won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. The Golden Knights have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final three times and celebrate their 10th season as a franchise in 2026-27. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights visit vegasgoldenknights.com and follow the team on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
