Vegas Golden Knights top prospect Trevor Connelly won a silver medal as the volunteer coach of the U14 Hockey Players of Color team at the 2024 Amerigol LATAM Cup.
This was the second consecutive year that Connelly took a week of his summer to work as a volunteer coach. Connelly’s team went 3-2-1 in the tournament and was part of a thrilling 7-6 win in overtime against Brazil’s U14 National Team in the semi-finals.
“I never felt so into a hockey game that I wasn’t playing,” Connelly said. “My heart was racing, and I could feel sweat dripping down my body. I had to catch myself a couple of times and remember I wasn’t playing in the game.”
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Ultimately, Connelly’s team lost in the finals to Mexico’s Development Program 4-0 but he felt the tournament was never about winning or losing, but about developing a connection with the HPOC players.
According to Gordon Weigers of NHL.com, the 18-year-old developed a special relationship with Lincoln Wahba. They stayed in contact throughout the 2023-24 season and had monthly Zoom calls to talk about hockey and review film together.
“He sent me his game clips and we’d go over them together every month,” Connelly said. “We were texting every week and I was trying to give him extra support. We built a great relationship.”
Connelly is gearing up for his first season in the NCAA with Providence College after the Golden Knights selected him with the 19th pick in the 2024 NHL draft. He’ll likely also play a critical role with Team USA at the World Juniors and depending on how successful his season is, he could sign his entry-level contract at the conclusion of his college year.
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