Connelly also defends the puck and wins tackles well for a young player who is 6-foot-1, 177 pounds.
“Everybody’s probably pretty aware of how skilled he is, his speed,” Hanifin said. “But his ability to go into those tough times, I think, is what kind of sets him apart and makes him so successful. He is not afraid to take the arrow out of the net and get into battles, get into corners. From there, I think he gets more and more hands on the drum and his confidence grows.
“He’s been unreal for us all year, such a great teammate, great guy. It’s great to see him have such early success.”
Connelly said he learned from his dad, Scott, who coached him until he was 12 or 13 years old. He said smiling.
Getting in paid off as he climbed through the stairs.
“It’s where a lot of goals are scored, so I think I’m just trying to get to that net as much as I can,” Connelly said.
Vegas selected Connelly with the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. After one season at Providence College, he joined Henderson of the American Hockey League. He had four points (one goal, three assists) in six games in 2024/25 and 49 points (14 goals, 35 assists) in 46 games last season, plus six points (one goal, five assists) in six Calder Cup playoff games.
Henderson was coached by Ryan Craig, who was promoted this season by the Golden Knights to replace John Tortorella. That helped Connelly’s transition from the AHL to the NHL.
“Krager kind of knows my ins and outs,” Connelly said. “Definitely very fortunate to play for him last year. I think that helped me feel a lot more comfortable in camp and these first (19) games.”
