VGK Insider examines storylines a month out from training camp
Informal VGK skates have been getting busier with each passing day with rookie camp just two weeks away from beginning, which will lead into main camp opening shortly after.
August is traditionally a quiet month on the hockey calendar with most of the offseason business getting done in July.
Players add skating to their training programs in August and in Vegas, the surface at City National Arena begins to buzz.
Multiple skaters and goalies from across the Golden Knights organization were on the ice on Tuesday morning and once the Labor Day weekend ends next Monday, expect that total to increase.
Notes and quotes:
Red, white, and blue: VGK forwards Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin are among the 44 players Team USA has invited to Plymouth, Mich., this week for a team building event. Eichel has already been named to the final roster which competes for the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Hanifin earned a spot with Team USA last winter at the 4 Nations Faceoff and is looking to rejoin Eichel in the hunt for gold come February.
O Canada: Four VGK players were invited to Team Canada’s orientation camp in Calgary this week which was scheduled to begin Tuesday evening. Goalie Adin Hill, defensemen Shea Theodore as well as forwards Mark Stone and Mitch Marner are all on Canada’s early identification list of 42 players. Canada has invited 92 players from its men’s, women’s, and para hockey teams to attend its National Teams Orientation Camp this week.
A trade to remember: On this day in 1987, the Calgary Flames acquired the late Brad McCrimmon from the Philadelphia Flyers for two draft picks (a first and a third). McCrimmon was a critical addition to the Flames which took them from contender status to Stanley Cup champions in the spring of 1989.
The Flames had lots of skill on the back end, Al MacInnis and Gary Suter were among the best offensive defensemen in the NHL at the time but were missing some stiffness.
McCrimmon brought heft, smarts, and a good dose of mean to the Flames blueline.
“He galvanized that dressing room and, in many ways, instantly took over that team. He brought that Flyers and Saskatchewan snarl,” said former Flames beat writer and Hockey Hall of Fame member Eric Duhatschek. “Calgary had lots of skill, but Brad made them hard to play against. Suddenly teams hated playing them. He was so important to that team and his arrival was a big reason in them getting over the top.”
McCrimmon was the older brother of Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon.
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