LAS VEGAS — A new season begins where the last one ended, with the Golden Knights chasing another Stanley Cup.
The Golden Knights will officially open their 10th season (Season X) Tuesday night inside T-Mobile Arena, welcoming the Chicago Blackhawks to Las Vegas for the first game of an 84-game regular season. But while the expectations surrounding Vegas remain the same, the man behind the bench is different.
After taking over with just eight games remaining in the regular season last year, John Tortorella guided the Golden Knights through a remarkable postseason run that ended with the franchise’s third Stanley Cup. This offseason, however, Vegas moved on from Tortorella and turned to a familiar face Ryan Craig, the only head coach the organization has had who has been with the franchise since its beginning.
Craig retired from a 14-year professional playing career to join the Golden Knights as an assistant coach on June 9, 2017, ahead of the franchise’s inaugural season. He spent six seasons behind the bench, working under Gerard Gallant, Peter DeBoer and Bruce Cassidy, and was part of the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup championship team.
After being named head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights on June 26, 2023, Craig continued to build his résumé within the organization. Henderson improved his win total in each of his three seasons, culminating in a franchise-best 39-21-12 record and 90 points during the 2025-26 campaign. Now, nearly a decade after first arriving in Las Vegas, Craig will lead the organization onto the ice as its fifth head coach.
Across the ice, the Blackhawks enter the season with plenty of attention of their own. Chicago named Connor Bedard its captain this offseason, but the 21-year-old star will not be available Tuesday night as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury suffered during training camp. While Bedard’s absence leaves a noticeable void, Chicago also brought back one of the most iconic players in franchise history.
Patrick Kane is home again.
After spending the previous two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Kane returns to the organization where he became a three-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest players in Blackhawks history. He ranks second in franchise history in points with 1,225 and assists with 779, while his 446 goals rank third all-time.
Two franchises, two very different stories entering opening night. For Vegas, it is about turning the page without losing sight of what made last season special. For Chicago, it is about beginning a new chapter around a young core while welcoming back one of the franchise’s most recognizable legends.
And with 84 games ahead, both teams will get their first opportunity Tuesday night to begin writing the next chapter
Here is the full game recap:
The night began with a celebration of the franchise’s first nine seasons. Fans inside T-Mobile Arena were taken through some of the most memorable moments in Golden Knights history, from the 2017 Expansion Draft and the inaugural season, to Derek Engelland’s emotional speech and, ultimately, the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship in 2023.
Olofsson Opens Season X
Making his return to Vegas after previously playing for the Golden Knights during the 2024-25 season, Olofsson opened the scoring midway through the first period. With Chicago assessed a too-many-men penalty, Vegas went to the power play, and Jack Eichel quickly found Olofsson streaking down the ice. Olofsson fired a wrist shot over Spencer Knight’s glove and into the top corner, giving Vegas its first goal of Season X. It was an early reminder of the scoring ability Vegas brought back when it signed Olofsson to a one-year contract during the offseason.
But Olofsson wasn’t the only player making his debut in a new chapter.
A Rookie Makes His Mark
With less than five minutes remaining in the opening period, the Golden Knights added another goal — this time from one of the organization’s newest faces.Trevor Connelly was playing in his first NHL game. Brayden McNabb’s shot from the blue line found its way toward the net, and Connelly got his stick on the puck before controlling the rebound and lifting it past Knight.
The 20-year-old became just the fourth player in Golden Knights history to score in his NHL debut and the second-youngest player in franchise history to accomplish the feat, behind Cody Glass. The rookie’s celebration brought the building to life.
Jordan Greenway, acquired by Chicago from Buffalo during the offseason, cut the Vegas lead to 2-1 midway through the second period. Suddenly, the momentum inside T-Mobile Arena began to shift. Just minutes later, Ivan Barbashev created an opportunity behind the net, feeding the puck into the slot for Eichel. He buried the shot to restore Vegas’ two-goal advantage — while reaching a milestone that had been waiting for him all night.
The goal gave Eichel his 700th career point, making him just the ninth American born player to reach 700 points. Jack entered the night two points shy of the milestone and he finished the night with 3.
Showtime Scores in His Return
Staying on the topic of American born players, Patrick Kane was back in a Blackhawks sweater. The three-time Stanley Cup champion returned to the organization that drafted him in 2007, playing his first game for Chicago since February 2023. And, fittingly, Kane gave the Blackhawks faithful something to celebrate.
Early in the third period, Kane broke loose and made his way toward Carter Hart before beating the Vegas goaltender to cut the deficit to 3-2. It was Kane’s first goal as a Blackhawk since February 22, 2023 — the night he scored a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs. For a moment, Chicago had life.
Just 39 seconds after Kane’s goal, Noah Hanifin restored the Golden Knights’ two-goal cushion. Nic Dowd and Marc Gatcomb helped create the opportunity, and Hanifin fired a wrist shot from the high slot past Knight to make it 4-2.
And with less than three minutes remaining, Mark Stone put the finishing touch on the night. With Chicago’s net empty, Eichel found Stone, who buried the empty-net goal to officially close the book on Opening Knight.
Vegas Golden Knights 5, Chicago Blackhawks 2.
Five different Golden Knights scored. Eichel finished with a goal and two assists. Olofsson scored in his return. Connelly scored in his NHL debut.Hanifin found the net. Stone sealed it. And Hart stopped 24 of Chicago’s 26 shots finishing with a .923 save percentage in his first regular-season game of the new campaign. Vegas finished the night with 36 shots on goal, compared to Chicago’s 26, and converted once on two power-play opportunities.
The victory also continued one of the most consistent trends in Golden Knights history. Vegas improved to 8-1-1 all time in season openers, including a point in each of its last eight opening games. The Golden Knights also improved to 5-0 in first game of a new head coach’s tenure.
For Craig, as his first NHL game as a head coach, he picks up his first NHL win.
The Golden Knights now turn their attention toward Anaheim, as they will be back inside T-Mobile Arena this Friday.
Make sure to stay tuned on Vegas Sports Today for all Golden Knights updates.
