Golden Knights roster, coaching staff full of Manitoba representation

For some staff members at Winnipeg’s Westwood Collegiate, the current series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Vegas Golden Knights has taken on a personal meaning.

Two hockey players who attended the high school – Mark Stone and Nolan Patrick - are now on the Golden Knights’ roster. The pair came to the school while participating in the province’s AAA Hockey division. They also competed in the Winnipeg High School Hockey League’s rookie tournament, which Mark’s team went on to win.

“With both of them, and you can see in the NHL, what they've done is they represent themselves very well, on and off the ice,” said James West, who coached high school hockey. “A lot of the kids of Westwood really took to them because they knew that they were on their way to a big career, maybe going to the NHL. It wasn't in stone yet, but they showed great character throughout their time with us on the ice.”

West said he is not surprised about the careers the two players have had.

“Mark, in general, (was) a leader in the school. We saw that right from the beginning when he came back and he was doing his education here for graduation. And then you can see today in the NHL that he is a leader, which he is a captain of Vegas, so he's done very well,” he said. “With Nolan, same idea. You know, he was always polite, always came and talked to us. He was very interacting among the students that were here, and not too high on where they were going and what they're doing.”

West says he hopes the two players can continue to inspire a new generation of students to chase their dreams.

The Golden Knights, who currently lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, take on the Jets in Las Vegas at 9 p.m. CT Thursday night.

MULTIPLE MANITOBA CONNECTIONS ON GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Stone and Patrick aren’t the only Manitoba connections on the Golden Knights.

The team also includes Brandon’s Keegan Kolesar, Oakbank’s Brett Howden, Winkler’s Byron Froese and Zach Whitecloud of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

The Manitoba representation also extends to the coaching staff and front office.

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon spent 26 seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings as an owner head coach and general manager before becoming the team’s first assistant GM.

Assistant coach Ryan Craig also played his junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings.