Jeff Chiu/AP
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Mason Morelli (11) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the San Jose Sharks during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 19, 2024.
Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 | 3:34 p.m.
With his family in attendance and wearing No. 11 sweaters, Mason Morelli gave them reason to be excited.
The undrafted 28-year-old forward scored and had an assist in his NHL debut with the Golden Knights for a 4-0 win over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Monday.
Morelli has been an American Hockey League journeyman since 2019, playing with Stockton for two years before joining the Hershey Bears for a three-year run that included winning the Calder Cup last season.
The former University of Nebraska-Omaha captain signed a two-way deal with the Golden Knights this past summer and has 23 points in 44 games with AHL Henderson.
Morelli scored a power-play goal at 19:12 to cap off a three-goal first period for the Golden Knights, then had an assist on Keegan Kolesar’s goal at 18:44 of the second period for his first two NHL points.
Michael Amadio and William Karlsson also scored for the Golden Knights (32-17-6) for their first win in three games. Logan Thompson made 30 saves for the fourth shutout of his career and first since Oct. 28, 2022 against the Anaheim Ducks.
The third period doomed the Golden Knights in their last two games, losses to Minnesota and Carolina. There wasn’t a need for a Presidents’ Day meltdown against a Sharks team that has the second fewest points in the NHL.
Check back later for updates.
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on X at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
