by LAS VEGAS– Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson started Friday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets to commemorate the 700th game of his career.
He then finished what he started with a remarkable no-look backhand pass to Brett Howden, who scored the game-winning goal late in the third period of a 4-3 win over the team-leading Jets. the NHL.
“It’s been a long journey, especially with the Knights,” Karlsson said. “I’m happy I was able to play my 700th game in Vegas.”
Karlsson, an original eight-year-old member of the franchise, has been in the league for 11 years.
Karlsson was drafted by Anaheim, 53rd overall, in the second round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. After making his professional debut in 2014 and playing in just 18 games with the Ducks, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Karlsson played three years in Columbus and was unprotected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. The Jackets traded a 2017 first-round pick, a 2019 second-round pick and injured forward David Clarkson to Vegas with a deal that the Knights would select Karlsson in the expansion draft.
Karlsson had a career year for the Knights scoring 43 goals to set a new NHL record for goals scored by a player in an expansion team’s inaugural season.
His 377 points are the second-most all-time for the Vegas franchise and rank first among the current Golden Knights. His 517 games played for Vegas place him second all-time behind teammate Brayden McNabb (526).
“Since day one we’ve been winning, and we’ve maintained that for the majority of those seven years, and I think that’s one of the good things,” Karlsson recently told The Hockey News when asked asked what he liked about playing for the team. franchise. “It’s a winning culture. It’s always fun to be there. And the owner wants to win, and everyone who works around the team wants to win. And also the organization does a great job taking care of So there’s a lot for us players to like.”
Karlsson has four goals and six assists so far this season, his 10 points ranking him 10th on the team.
