CHL Prospect Pipeline: Vegas Golden Knights
CHL Prospect Pipeline highlights those who played in 2022-23, who were born in 2002 or later, and are signed by or on the reserve list of an NHL club.
Jakub Brabenec (F) — Sherbrooke Phoenix
Acquired: 2021 NHL Draft (120th overall)
CHL career stats: 112GP | 35G | 89A | 124PTS
Across 54 games between Charlottetown and Sherbrooke, Brabenec had a career high 18 goals while he also surpassed 60 points for the second straight year. With the Phoenix, the 19-year-old tallied 35 points (10 goals) in just 26 games.
Brabenec, who was the QMJHL rookie of the year in 2021-22, also starred at the 2023 World Juniors where he had seven points in seven games as Czechia won silver.
Mathieu Cataford (F) — Halifax Mooseheads
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (77th overall)
CHL career stats: 130GP | 48G | 73A | 121PTS
On an offensive heavy Mooseheads team, Cataford had a career best 75 points in 2022-23 while he also found the back of the net 31 times. He’d add 13 more points in the postseason as Halifax reached the QMJHL Finals while a year ago, he won gold with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
2023 #NHLDraft prospect Mathieu Cataford lit the lamp four times Tuesday for the @HFXMooseheads! 🚨🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/AMwNyB82LV
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) November 9, 2022
Artur Cholach (D) — Barrie Colts
Acquired: 2021 NHL Draft (190th overall)
CHL career stats: 116GP | 4G | 30A | 34PTS
Cholach’s second OHL season saw him record a career high three goals and 21 points from Barrie’s blue line. The third overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft, Cholach also suited up 13 times in the postseason.
Jakub Demek (F) — Kamloops Blazers
Acquired: 2021 NHL Draft (128th overall)
CHL career stats: 70GP | 24G | 41A | 65PTS
Injuries dampered Demek’s second WHL season as he played in just 15 games with Kamloops. Acquired from Edmonton Nov. 15, Demek made his Blazers debut Feb. 20 and tallied 11 points.
In the postseason, Demek, who won a WHL title with Edmonton in 2021-22, had a further 11 points while he also found the back of the net at the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia.
Jordan Gustafson (F) — Seattle Thunderbirds
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (79th overall)
CHL career stats: 122GP | 43G | 56A | 99PTS
Injuries also kept Gustafson out of the Seattle lineup in 2022-23 as he played in just 40 regular season contests where he tallied 36 points. During the Thunderbirds’ run to the WHL championship, Gustafson played in just nine games after he returned to the lineup April 4.
At the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia, Gustafson had three points (two goals) as Seattle fell to Quebec in the final.
#Vegasborn prospect Jordan Gustafson with a seeing eye shot! #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/PzEEkOcGND
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 28, 2023
Ben Hemmerling (F) — Everett Silvertips
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (177th overall)
CHL career stats: 134GP | 34G | 82A | 116PTS
Hemmerling finished third in Silvertips scoring last season with a career high 62 points. His 21 goals ranked fourth while his 41 helpers placed him second.
Matyas Sapovaliv (F) — Saginaw Spirit
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (48th overall)
CHL career stats: 129GP | 45G | 63A | 108PTS
In 2022-23, Sapovaliv led the Spirit with 27 goals while his 56 points were tied for the team lead. In the postseason, he had 17 points in 11 games as the Spirit made the second round of the OHL playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Sapovaliv also claimed a silver medal at the 2023 World Juniors with Czechia and was named as one of his side’s top three players after he recorded seven assists.
#VegasBorn prospect Matyas Sapovaliv's hat-trick helped lead @SpiritHockey to a 2-0 series lead over Flint! #RoadtoMemorialCup pic.twitter.com/DFvpxSpbIz
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 1, 2023
