Vegas Golden Knights top prospect Trevor Connelly earned a silver medal as a volunteer coach for the U-14 Black hockey team at the 2024 Amerigol LATAM Cup.
This was the second year in a row that Connelly took a week out of his summer to volunteer as a coach. Connelly’s team went 3-2-1 in the tournament and participated in a thrilling 7-6 overtime win against Brazil’s U-14 National Team in the semifinals.
“I’ve never felt so involved in a hockey game that I wasn’t playing in,” Connelly said. “My heart was racing and I could feel the sweat dripping down my body. I had to catch myself a couple of times and remind myself that I wasn’t playing.”
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Connelly’s team ultimately lost the final to the Mexican Development Program 4-0, but he felt the tournament was never about winning or losing, but about developing a connection with the HPOC players.
According Gordon Weigers of NHL.comThe 18-year-old developed a special relationship with Lincoln Wahba. They stayed in touch throughout the 2023-24 season and had monthly Zoom calls to talk hockey and review film together.
“He would send me his game videos and we would go through them together every month,” Connelly said. “We would text each other every week and I would try to give him extra support. We built a great relationship.”
Connelly is preparing for his first NCAA season with Providence College after the Golden Knights selected him with the 19th pick in the 2024 NHL draft. He will likely play a pivotal role with Team USA at the World Juniors as well, and depending on how successful his season is, he could sign his entry-level contract at the conclusion of his college year.
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