Hertl of Golden Knights savors finally returning to Stanley Cup Final

LAS VEGAS -- Tomas Hertl  didn't expect it to take this long for another chance to play for the Stanley Cup.

He also didn't expect that when it happened he’d be wearing a different uniform, have a former teammate as a coach and have the team captain be the only player he has fought in the NHL.

None of that matters now. Ten years after reaching the Stanley Cup Final with the San Jose Sharks, the forward will play in the Final for a second time when the Vegas Golden Knights face either the Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens. Carolina had a 3-1 series lead against Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final entering Game 5 on Friday.

"I remember when I lost (in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 Final), I was obviously sad, but I thought I'd probably be back in two or three years," Hertl said. "Over the years, you figure out how hard it is to get there, and how lucky I am to be again in the Final."

Golden Knights coach John Tortorella understands the difficulty of making it back to the Cup Final. He lifted the Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning but hasn't been back to the Final until now. Vegas is the fifth team he has coached since then.

"It's one of the hardest things to do to get back," Tortorella said. "Some great players and some of the best coaches in our game haven't got there. That spells it all for you right there. When you're in it, make sure you're in it because you may never get back here."

San Jose sent Hertl to Vegas prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8, 2024, in a deal that few saw coming. He complimented Vegas’ winning pedigree for making it an attractive destination; it was something he witnessed firsthand in 2018 when his Sharks were eliminated by the Golden Knights in six games in the second round, and in 2019 when San Jose defeated them in seven games in the first round. 

Hertl, who was in his 11th season with the Sharks, had to waive his no-move clause to be traded. At the time, San Jose had missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for four straight seasons.

"They've been dominating since Day 1 every year in the playoffs," Hertl said of the Golden Knights, who entered the NHL in 2017-18 and are making their third Final appearance in nine seasons, having won the Cup in 2023. "You never have guarantees of how far you will go and if you win it, but the talk was, 'This is the chance.' Obviously, nobody can guarantee you will win it."

When he was traded, Hertl was sidelined after having knee surgery the previous month. It probably helped that a familiar face from the 2015-16 Sharks was also in Vegas: Golden Knights assistant coach Joel Ward, a former San Jose forward. Hertl credits Ward and his family with making the transition to his new team easier.

"He was great to me," Hertl said. "Even for my wife, because his wife and mine have been pretty close in San Jose. We’ve got (kids) who are almost the same age, so everything is pretty close. So, he helped me a lot, showed me around, and especially helped me early on with the system and everything."

Hertl came back to play seven regular-season games for Vegas that season and seven more in the playoffs. Since then, in his two full seasons with the Golden Knights, he has 119 points (56 goals, 63 assists) in 155 games. 

Another person who made Hertl's transition to Vegas smooth was Golden Knights captain Mark Stone. Stone, who was part of Hertl’s only NHL fight on March 17, 2021, spent time with him rehabbing injuries in 2024. That enabled them to develop chemistry and a mutual understanding of each other's playing style.

"We got pretty close. I think Mark and I are pretty close friends," Hertl said. "We talk a lot about hockey and everything."

Stone and Hertl have rarely played on the same line at 5-on-5. But Tortorella tried it for the first time this season in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche, with Stone returning to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury.

Hertl scored the go-ahead goal off a bump pass from Stone in the neutral zone, and the Golden Knights came from behind to win 5-3 en route to a four-game sweep of the Avalanche.

Hertl has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 16 playoff games this season. His three goals have come in the past seven games.

"He did his work, and when he was struggling, he still worked at the other side of the puck," Tortorella said. "I think he feels so much better about himself because a couple of goals have gone in."

Hertl and the Golden Knights were eliminated in Game 7 of the first round against the Dallas Stars in 2024, then lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round in five games last season, so he isn’t taking this opportunity for granted.

"It's still a long way," Hertl said. "I'm really excited but hoping for the best result this time."

The wait was worth it, even if it ended with him in an unexpected situation.

"I definitely didn't expect I could ever play in Vegas," Hertl said. "But now I'm here, super excited. The team organization is just awesome. In my past 2 1/2 years here, I have had so much fun."

NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger contributed to this report