Brayden Pachal and the Vegas Golden Knights have won the Stanley Cup. (Twitter/American Hockey League)

By Rob Mahon

Raider Cup Connections

Former captain Pachal, GM Campese among Raiders connections to Stanley Cup

Jun 14, 2023 | 11:00 AM

In 2019, then-captain of the Prince Albert Raiders Brayden Pachal hoisted the Ed Chynoweth Cup after leading the Raiders to the WHL championship. Little could he have known that four years later he would be taking a lap with hockey’s ultimate prize.

Pachal and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 9-3 Tuesday night to win the Stanley Cup. They won the best-of-seven series 4 games to 1, winning their first championship in the young history of the franchise.

Though he wasn’t dressed for the final game of the championship run, Pachal was part of the playoff drive for Vegas. The Estevan native played one game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after playing ten in the regular season, with that game coming in the first round against the Winnipeg Jets.

Undrafted out of junior, Pachal parlayed an excellent final season in Prince Albert into a contract with the Golden Knights, starting out with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. When the Knights relocated their affiliate to Henderson to be closer to the parent club, Pachal came along with them and, in just his second season with the team, was named captain.

Though he is the most recent connection to the Raiders, Pachal is not the only former Raider connected to the Golden Knights. Kelly McCrimmon, the Golden Knights’ general manager, played a season with the Raiders when they were still a member of the SJHL in 1977-78.

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Former Raiders general manager Bruno Campese is also now a Stanley Cup champion. After serving as the Raiders’ GM for five seasons from 2010-11 to 2014-15, he moved into the scouting ranks and has been a scout for the Golden Knights since before their inaugural season, starting in 2016-17.

Other Saskatchewan connections to the Golden Knights include Davidson-born defenseman Brayden McNabb, who has been with the team since their first season, and Saskatoon’s Chandler Stephenson, who has now won his second Stanley Cup.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP