How Western Conference champion Golden Knights were built

The Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2023 with a 2-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The Golden Knights, who will play the Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens in the Final, will seek to win their second championship and first since they defeated the Florida Panthers in five games in 2023. Eleven current players were on that roster: forwards Jack Eichel, Brett Howden, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Keegan Kolesar and Mark Stone, defensemen Brayden McNabb, Ben Hutton and Shea Theodore, and goalie Adin Hill. Forward Brandon Saad is a two-time winner with the Chicago Blackhawks (2013, 2015), while Barbashev also won with the St. Louis Blues (2019).

Of the 23 players to play at least one postseason game, 15 were acquired via trade, four were signed in free agency, two were selected by Vegas in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and two were selected by Vegas in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Here's how the roster of this Stanley Cup finalist was built, with background on the coaching staff and general manager:

FORWARDS

Ivan Barbashev, LW: Acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 26 for forward prospect Zach Dean, Barbashev had 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 16 playoff games.

Pavel Dorofeyev, RW: Selected in the third round (No. 79) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Dorofeyev had 64 points (37 goals, 27 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 16 playoff games.

Nic Dowd, C: Acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals on March 5 for goalie prospect Jesper Vikman, a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, Dowd had five points (one goal, four assists) in 20 games with Vegas and has four points (three goals, one assist) in 16 playoff games.

Jack Eichel, C: Acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 4, 2021, with a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft for forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Eichel had 90 points (27 goals, 63 assists) in 74 regular-season games and has 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 16 playoff games.

Tomas Hertl, C: Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on March 8, 2024, along with a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft for forward prospect David Edstrom and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Hertl had 58 points (24 goals, 34 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 16 playoff games.

Brett Howden, C: Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on July 17, 2021, for defensemen Nick DeSimone and a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Howden had 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 58 regular-season games and has 12 points (10 goals, two assists) in 16 playoff games.

William Karlsson, C: Selected from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft on June 21, 2017, Karlsson had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 14 regular-season games and has five points (one goal, four assists) in 10 playoff games.

Keegan Kolesar, RW: Acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 24, 2017, for a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Kolesar had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has one goal in 16 playoff games.

Mitch Marner, RW: Acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2025, for forward Nicolas Roy, Marner had 80 points (24 goals, 56 assists) in 81 regular-season games and has 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 16 playoff games.

Brandon Saad, LW: Signed as a free agent Jan. 31, 2025, Saad had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 49 regular-season games and has two assists in five playoff games.

Colton Sissons, C: Acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on June 30, 2025, with defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft for defenseman Nicolas Hague, Sissons had 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 66 regular-season games and has six points (two goals, four assists) in 16 playoff games.

Cole Smith, RW: Acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on March 3 for defenseman prospect Christoffer Sedoff and a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, Smith had two goals in 21 regular-season games and has five points (three goals, two assists) in 16 playoff games.

Reilly Smith, RW: Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on March 6, 2025, for forward Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Smith had 26 points (16 goals, 10 assists) in 69 regular-season games and has two assists in six playoff games. 

Mark Stone, RW: Acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 25, 2019, with forward Tobias Lindberg for defenseman Erik Brannstrom, forward Oscar Lindberg and a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Stone had 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists) in 60 regular-season games and has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games.

DEFENSEMEN

Rasmus Andersson: Acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Jan. 18 for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defenseman prospect Abram Wiebe, a first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, Andersson had 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 33 regular-season games with Vegas and has five assists in 16 playoff games.

Dylan Coghlan: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2025, Coghlan had no points in three regular-season games and has three points (one goal, two assists) in eight playoff games.

Noah Hanifin: Acquired in a three team trade with the Calgary Flames and the Philadelphia Flyers on March 6, 2024, for defenseman prospect Daniil Miromanov, conditional first- and third-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Hanifin had 28 points (three goals, 25 assists) in 71 regular-season games and has six assists in 16 playoff games.

Ben Hutton: Signed as a free agent Oct. 28, 2021, Hutton had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 55 regular-season games and has one assist in seven playoff games.

Kaedan Korczak: Selected in the second round (No. 41) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Korczak had 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 78 regular-season games and has three assists in 12 playoff games. 

Jeremy Lauzon: Acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on June 30, 2025, with forward Colton Sissons and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft for forward Nicolas Hague, Lauzon had 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in 68 regular-season games and has no points in six playoff games.

Brayden McNabb: Selected from the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft on June 21, 2017, McNabb had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 63 regular-season games and has four points (one goal, three assists) in 15 playoff games.

Shea Theodore: Acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on June 21, 2017, in exchange for Vegas selecting defenseman Clayton Stoner in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Theodore had 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) in 70 regular-season games and has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 16 playoff games.

GOALIES

Carter Hart: Signed as a free agent Oct. 24, 2025, Hart went 11-3-3 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in 18 regular-season games and is 12-4 with a 2.22 GAA and .924 save percentage in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Adin Hill: Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Aug. 29, 2022, for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Hill was 10-9-6 with a 3.04 GAA, .871 save percentage and one shutout in 27 regular-season games. He has not played in the postseason.

COACHING STAFF

John Tortorella, coach: Hired on March 29, Tortorella went 7-0-1 in the regular season. He previously was coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning (2001-08), New York Rangers (2009-13), Vancouver Canucks (2013-14), Columbus Blue Jackets (2015-21) and Philadelphia Flyers (2022-25). He won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004 and is a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Award after having been voted the top coach in the NHL (2003-04 with Tampa Bay; 2016-17 with Columbus).

John Stevens, assistant: Hired on June 28, 2022, Stevens has been an assistant for four seasons. He was previously an assistant (2010-17) and coach (2017-18) of the Los Angeles Kings, and coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2006-09.

Dominique Ducharme, assistant: Hired on July 12, 2023, Ducharme has been an assistant for the past three seasons. Prior to that, he was an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens from 2018-21 before being named interim coach Feb. 24, 2021, where he remained in the position until he was relieved of his duties Feb. 9, 2022.

Joel Ward, assistant: Hired on July 12, 2023, Ward has been in the role for three seasons. He previously was an assistant with Henderson of the American Hockey League for three seasons (2020-23).

Sean Burke, goaltending coach: Hired on June 25, 2022, Burke has been the director of goaltending and goalie coach since the 2022-23 season and was in the role when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023. He previously was a scout and goaltending consultant for the Canadiens from 2016-22.

GENERAL MANAGER

Kelly McCrimmon: Promoted to GM on May 2, 2019, McCrimmon was hired as the team's first assistant GM on Aug. 2, 2016. Prior to that, he had various stints as an assistant and coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League beginning in 1988 before becoming GM (1989) and sole owner of the team in 2001. He sold the team to Jared Jacobson of the J&G Group of Companies on Sept. 15, 2020.