The North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) has announced that the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights have been accepted as full-time Tier I members of the NAPHL for the 2021-22 season.

The organization will field Tier 1 teams at the 16U and 14U levels in the NAPHL.

For the past two seasons, the Jr. Golden Knights have played in the NAPHL’s Showcase Division at the 16U and 14U levels. The Jr. Golden Knights are dedicated to the development of youth hockey in the city of Las Vegas and state of Nevada. They are committed to providing their hockey players and families an environment where young athletes can develop on and off the ice while learning the value of teamwork, competition, sportsmanship, discipline, respect, self-esteem, hard work and integrity – in a safe and fun environment. They are dedicated to the growth and development of the game in their city and aim to foster a community spirit among our players, families, coaches and officials.

“This is a great addition to the NAPHL’s Tier I West Division as we continue to help facilitate the growth and development of programs like the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights. They have represented themselves very well at our events the past two seasons and we are confident they will be able to be a competitive organization at the Tier I level,” stated NAPHL director Tony Zasowski. “We look forward to watching their evolution to our Tier I 16U and 14U Divisions and look forward to seeing them at more of our events.”

Matt Johnson will serve as the 16U head coach, while Wally Lacroix will serve as the 14U head coach.

Johnson is entering his fourth year in the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights program and has become increasingly instrumental in defining the Skills Progression Path throughout the hockey club. His passionate approach is tailor-made for this age group and competitive level.

Lacroix has been in the program since its inception coaching the 16U team. He won a USA Hockey national championship two years ago – a tremendous accomplishment in just the second year of the Jr. Golden Knights existence. Lacroix brings a wealth of experience to the role and is one of the most well-known and respected hockey figures in the area.

“The Vegas Jr. Golden Knights Hockey Club is thrilled to be part of the NAPHL Tier I League for the upcoming 2021-22 season. We appreciate the incumbent members for having the faith in us to build a quality program in Vegas. Having the consistently high level of competition provided by the NAPHL is a big part of the program’s development,” said Darren Eliot, executive director of the Jr. Golden Knights.

(April 1, 2021)