CHL notebook: Golden Knights prospect Kmec excelling in WHL

Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

When Viliam Kmec got the call to head up to the office of Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon during training camp, the defenseman prospect wasn't sure what was going to happen.

"They were cutting some guys from the camp," he said. "I went to the office, I thought I was getting cut too. But I went there, and they told me they wanted to sign me. It was an amazing feeling."

The 20-year-old had been passed over in the NHL draft three times but impressed enough during his first chance at an NHL training camp that the Golden Knights signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract Sept. 23.

Kmec has shown Vegas made a smart decision, with 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) and a plus-22 rating in 27 games with Prince George of the WHL.

"I'm just trying to stay consistent at what I'm doing, focus on the details of my game, trying not to make the same mistake twice, and basically just be comfortable on the ice and play my game," Kmec said.

So far, the Golden Knights have been impressed. But Kmec has been impressing them since he was invited to development camp in June.

"When we invited him to development camp, we had to wait until the draft was over, because he's still draft eligible," Golden Knights director of player development Wil Nichol said. "The draft ends on a Saturday and it's in Vegas, but he's overseas in Slovakia, and we needed to get him in by Sunday night. So, when you do the math, I think it's a 10-hour [time] difference."

Kmec, who watched the draft from his home in Kosice, Slovakia, said the call inviting him to Vegas' camp came about 11:30 p.m. his time, and the first flight out of Kosice International Airport was at 5:30 a.m. the next day.

He arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday evening, some 20 hours later, and was on the ice for testing Monday morning.

"When he arrived, I met him at the hotel lobby just to make sure everything was OK and he was absolutely gassed," Nichol said. "But he didn't complain for one second. He was on time the next morning and you never would have known it when he got on the ice Monday afternoon and went through the testing Monday morning. Talk about starting on the correct foot with us and leaving an awesome first impression. That set the tone. And that's who he is.

"You only have 50 contracts, and so you want to make sure, if it's a free agent, that you've really done your homework with his character. That was one of the great things about getting to know him at development camp and at the rookie camp and rookie tournaments, was you can really see that come through. This is a kid that has had to earn every single thing that he has gotten."

This season, he's gotten more opportunities and has taken advantage of them. In his fourth season with Prince George, his 28 points are closing in on the 34 (nine goals, 25 assists) he had in 58 games last season, and he's still been responsible defensively.

"If you talk to their coaches, he's probably playing too many minutes right now, but he'd rather have that," Nichol said. "I just think his skill set is able to develop a little bit more this year. Being that older guy, being the over-ager, you can see it. He's not even at the halfway mark in terms of games ... and he's already almost at his total for points [last season].

“The most important part of that is he's not cheating the game. He's playing the right way. His plus/minus has been consistently near the top or at the top for his team. The last time I saw him play, he played 32 minutes. And so, when you look at that, what's asked of him, I think that's probably as impressive as anything, because he's doing it the right way."

Kmec's goal is to continue doing those things the right way as he progresses through the rest of his final junior season and into pro hockey, and potentially toward a chance for a spot in Vegas next season.

"I think it's a long way, but I think anything's possible if I work on myself," he said. "First thing I've got to do (is to) make sure I play good going into the rookie camp [next season] and then I just try to go step by step. Don't really move too much ahead of myself. And we'll see how it goes."

OTHERS TO WATCH

Luke Misa, C, Brampton: Misa had two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to Sudbury on Friday to give him 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) during a 14-game point streak, the longest of his four OHL seasons. The 19-year-old, who was selected by the Calgary Flames in the fifth round (No. 150) of the 2024 NHL Draft, has 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 29 games this season, including a Brampton-high three game-winning goals.

Matvei Gridin, RW, Shawinigan: The Flames prospect, selected No. 28 in the first round of the 2024 draft, had two goals in the third period to tie the game, then scored the shootout winner in Shawinigan's 5-4 victory against Drummondville on Dec. 6. It was the 18-year-old's third multigoal game of the season; he leads QMJHL rookies with 15 goals in 28 games and is second with 34 points.

Tyson Jugnauth, D, Portland: Jugnauth had six assists in a 7-2 win against Vancouver on Dec. 7. The 20-year-old is the second WHL player with six assists in a game since 1996-97, joining Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman prospect Denton Mateychuk with Moose Jaw on March 19, 2022. Selected by the Seattle Kraken in the fourth round (No. 100) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Jugnauth has 39 points (six goals, 33 assists) in 28 games this season.