DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today acquired forward Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Entry Draft and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft.
Kolesar, 29, skated in all 82 games with the Golden Knights during the 2025-26 season, recording 17 points (6-11-17), 55 penalty minutes, 67 shots and 270 hits in 11:32 average time on ice. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound forward also tallied one goal and six penalty minutes in 21 postseason contests, helping the Golden Knights reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. Originally selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round (69th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Kolesar has registered 120 points (44-76-120) and 323 penalty minutes in 439 regular-season games with the Golden Knights since 2019-20. He has also registered 11 points (4-7-11) and 68 penalty minutes in 77 playoff matchups, winning a Stanley Cup championship with the Golden Knights in 2023. Kolesar notched 67 points (28-39-67) and 157 penalty minutes in 151 games with the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves from 2017-20. Additionally, Kolesar had 16 points (9-7-16) and 10 penalty minutes in 20 games with the ECHL’s Quad City Mallards during the 2017-18 campaign.
Prior to turning professional, Kolesar collected 167 points (77-90-167), a plus-23 rating and 338 penalty minutes in 243 regular-season games with the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds from 2012-17. Kolesar also logged 48 points (19-29-48) and 47 penalty minutes in 46 postseason contests, helping the Thunderbirds win their first Ed Chynoweth Cup in franchise history in 2017. During the 2017 WHL Playoffs, Kolesar led all skaters with 31 points (12-19-31), in addition to a plus-12 rating and 37 penalty minutes in 19 games. Kolesar also netted one goal and two penalty minutes in three games with the Thunderbirds during the 2017 Memorial Cup. The Brandon, Man., native played for Canada Western at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, showing four points (2-2-4) and two penalty minutes in five appearances.
