Ex-Knights center prepared to face former team: ‘It’s a good test’
The Golden Knights cleared one hurdle by earning their first road win of the season Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers.
Their next step is sustaining that momentum. They’ll attempt to do so against an old friend.
The Knights will face center Chandler Stephenson and the Seattle Kraken at 7 p.m. Friday at Climate Pledge Arena. It will be the team’s first meeting with Stephenson, a member of their 2023 Stanley Cup-winning squad, since he signed a seven-year, $43.75 million deal with the Kraken on July 1.
The Knights acquired Stephenson from the Washington Capitals in December 2019 for a fifth-round pick. It was one of the best moves in franchise history.
Stephenson, who had 33 points in 168 games with the Capitals, became an All Star in Las Vegas. He scored 237 points in 327 games with the Knights and added 20 points in 22 playoff games during the team’s championship run.
“I’ll forever be thankful for my time there,” Stephenson told reporters on Thursday. “A good group of guys, some that you win with. Those friendships carry over forever.”
This won’t be Stephenson’s first time facing the Knights. He has one goal in 10 games against his former team, a stretch that includes Washington’s five-game victory in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.
The Knights (9-3-1) are entering this matchup with Stephenson on a roll. Their win against the Oilers was their sixth in their last seven games.
The Knights held Edmonton’s star-studded offense to two goals on 29 shots and earned their first regulation win at Rogers Place since Feb. 8, 2022.
“It’s only November, but it could be a potential playoff matchup. It always means a little bit more,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “To score like that, I think was important for us.”
The Knights now face a Kraken team still finding its footing.
Seattle spent big in free agency this summer, adding defenseman Brandon Montour as well as Stephenson. Montour, who won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in June, signed a seven-year $49.98 million contract.
Still, the Kraken (5-8-1) have gotten off to a shaky start. Stephenson has played a role in that. The 30-year-old has one goal and eight assists through 14 games and is minus-5 at five-on-five.
Stephenson said he’s more worried about helping Seattle find its groove than facing his former team.
“It’d be (a) different (feeling) if we were in a better spot than we wanted to be in,” Stephenson said. “We need to kind of turn things around and get going on that, so we’re more focused on that.”
The Knights won’t make things easy on the Kraken.
They’re 5-0-0 all-time at Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle’s lone home win against the Knights came in the 2024 Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park, the Seattle Mariners’ stadium.
The NHL’s 31st team, the Knights, is 10-2 in three seasons against the 32nd, the Kraken. That should provide Seattle with plenty of motivation beyond just trying to help Stephenson beat his former team.
“We got the first-place team (in the Pacific Division) coming in tomorrow,” Stephenson said. “It’s a good test tomorrow and obviously a big game.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.