Golden Knights prospect Mathieu Cataford is second in the QMJHL in points with 69 points in 36 games.

Mathieu Cataford had a feeling that an entry-level deal with the Vegas Golden Knights was on the horizon.

Then he didn’t hear anything for a little bit of time. When his agent called on Dec. 29, 2023 to tell him that the Golden Knights had offered him a contract, he had two days to sign.

The ink was barely dry when the team announced on Dec. 31, 2023 that they had signed Cataford for the entry-level contract with the organization.

“It went pretty fast,” Cataford said. “I was pretty excited. It was a great moment for me and my family. I realized it was happening for real when I signed the paper.”

Elite Prospects has Cataford as the eighth-best prospect in the Vegas Golden Knights system.

Cataford is having a good season with the Halifax Mooseheads. He’s played in 46 games with 31 goals and 38 assists, which is good for second in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

“He’s producing and getting points and not cheating the game. You always like it when forwards are producing at the level that they’re at,” Vegas Golden Knights director of player development Wil Nichol said. “He’s got one more year to play in the Q. He’s not even one of the older players.”

It’s his third season in the QMJHL, and he spent most of the offseason improving his explosiveness on the ice, getting stronger. The 18-year-old said that it’s “building his confidence.”

“He’s a complete player. He plays the style that [Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy] likes. He’s responsible without the puck,” Nichol said. “He doesn’t not cheat the game. He’s got real good hockey sense. He plays the right way.”

As for what the Golden Knights expect Cataford to work on, the team wants him to focus on developing his game to his identity and do what he does best – playing a strong 200-foot game and winning puck battles.

“Vegas really wants me to play to my identity: going into the corners, being in front of the net, doing the little details, playing the game the right way,” Cataford said. “I’ve put a lot of focus on this during my junior career, and since they told me what they wanted from me. So, I think overall it’s going very well and I’m just trying to keep working towards the goal of playing in the NHL for the Golden Knights.”

Special thanks to Rick Stephens and our friends at THN.com/QMJHL for helping with the article. Read more stories about the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League by visiting their site.

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