Pay it Forward: Marner Continuing Proud Tradition by Mentoring Young Golden Knights Rookie

There’s a bit of an unspoken rule in hockey: when a talented young prospect takes the next step to become an NHL regular, one of the veteran players steps in and takes the rookie under his wing. Then, years down the road, it’ll be the prospect’s turn to step up as a mentor and take on a rookie of their own.

Think of John Tavares and how he’s mentored young Maple Leafs players like Matthew Knies and now Gavin McKenna. Think of how future Hall of Famer “Jumbo” Joe Thornton opened his house to Macklin Celebrini. Think of Mario Lemieux housing Sidney Crosby, and how Crosby went on to mentor Jake Guentzel. Think of… Well, you get the point.

With the emergence of 20-year-old Trevor Connelly, Vegas Golden Knights fans are witnessing this pay-it-forward-chain phenomenon in real time. And who better to mentor a talented young playmaker than Mitch Marner?

“I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with him. [Connelly is a] super great kid,” said Marner following the Golden Knights’ 2-1 overtime win on Saturday. “It’s always fun to hang out with, uh, you know, kids nowadays. I’m getting kind of old.”

Marner, who isn’t yet 30, is a far cry from “old.” But with 744 NHL games under his belt, he certainly knows what it takes to thrive as a player often referred to as undersized.

“Anytime you guys ask me about Trev, I have such confidence in him,” Marner gushed. “He’s such a good player. You see it daily, just the plays he makes, those little three-foot plays… You see his hockey sense out there. He just reads the plays so well. He makes so many great offensive plays, and he’s really building his defensive game as well.”

This rookie-veteran pairing makes a lot of sense. As a playmaker with exceptional vision and a high hockey IQ, Connelly often looks like a younger Marner out there on the ice.

In just six NHL games, Connelly already has two goals and four points. He recently moved up to the top power play unit, and it’s already paid dividends. With Victor Olofsson on Injured Reserve, Connelly now slots as the one-time option in the right circle.

“[Connelly] loves the game and has so much fun out there,” said Marner. “It’s been great to see, and he’s only going to get better. If he’s got questions to ask, I’ll answer them, and always try to help him out.”

As for Connelly, the young rookie couldn’t be happier with the opportunity to learn from Marner.

​​“I think Mitchy’s been really cool,” smiled Connelly. “Went over to his house for dinner. And on the road, he kind of hung out with me a lot. He’s a guy that I looked up to growing up, and kind of loved the way he played. So, it’s been surreal being able to spend time with him and just get to know him better.”