Silver Knights Sundays: Cotter Scores Hat-Trick, Brisson to Make Olympic Debut

As the Vegas Golden Knights prepare for their next game, their minor league team in the Henderson Silver Knights continue to tread through their 2021-22 AHL season. Since last week’s Silver Knights Sunday, the Silver Knights have swept the Evander Kane-less San Jose Barracuda, had two members of their organization get their first call-up of the season, and got a hat-trick from Paul Cotter.

On February 2nd and 3rd, the Silver Knights defeated the Barracuda 5-3 and 6-3 on back-to-back nights. In that game, Cotter scored goals in the dying seconds of both the first and third periods en route to a hat trick. This gives Cotter, a former Golden Knight call-up seven goals on the season with five in the AHL and two in the NHL.

Some Paul Cotter magic pic.twitter.com/qIpD8yNCy2

— Karlo (@Sumdood88) February 3, 2022

Cotter scored again in game two against the Barracuda alongside fellow call-ups Jake Leschyshyn, Ben Jones, and Jonas Rondbjerg.

Elsewhere for the Silver Knights two players on defense got their first call-ups of the season in Kaedan Korczak and Brayden Pachal. Alongside Daniil Miromanov, Korczak played in his first career NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres. In that game, Korczak played 16:37, had one blocked shot, and was a plus-one.

A 2019 second-round pick, Korczak is a player that Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer said he was impressed by in training camp. Korczak has battled with injuries this season in the AHL and has only played 15 games where he has scored one goal and one assist for two points.

Pachal, who has still never played in an NHL game to this point, was a free agent signing by the Golden Knights organization. He has since made a name for himself in the AHL and is now the captain of the Siver Knights.

Miromanov, Korczak, and Pachal were all sent down by the Golden Knights at the start of the All-Star break but it is reassuring having these players come in and step up when the Golden Knights have injuries. Given the team’s current cap issues, having a deep pool of young defensemen could result in the Golden Knights trading someone on the back end.

With a clean four points over the Barracuda, the Silver Knights have leapfrogged the Colorado Eagles in the AHL’s Pacific Division. They will take on the Bakersfield Condors next weekend on the road.

Finally, one more thing to mention before we wrap up this week’s edition of Silver Knights Sunday is Brendan Brisson. The 2020 first-round pick of the Golden Knights is set to play in his first-ever Olympic games at the age of 20. Representing Team USA, Brisson will make his Olympic debut Thursday at 8:10 am on Peacock and NBCSN.

HSK Weekly Record: 2-0 against San Jose Barracuda

Standings Update: 20-12-2 overall, fourth in the AHL’s Pacific Division standings

Up Next: Feb 11th and 12th at Bakersfield Condors both games at 7 pm PST

Projected First Call-Up: Daniil Miromanov

Henderson Silver Knights Current Lineup

Sven Baertschi- Gage Quinney- Jonas Rondbjerg

Paul Cotter- Jake Leschyshyn- Maxim Marushev

Ben Jones- Alan Quine- Jack Dugan

Mason Primeau — Matt Boudens

Derrick Pouliot- Kaedan Korczak

Zack Hayes- Daniil Miromanov

Ian McCoshen- Brayden Pachal

Peter DiLiberatore

Logan Thompson/Logan Flodell

Injured/Scratched: Pavel Dorofeyev, Reid Duke, Sven Baertschi, Jermaine Loewen, Colt Conrad, Ben Thomson, Layton Ahac, Brandon Hickey, Dylan Ferguson