Brayden McNabb

Lore & Background

McNabb was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2009 and later traded to the Los Angeles Kings on March 5, 2014, along with Jonathan Parker and two draft picks, in exchange for Hudson Fasching and Nicolas Deslauriers. He played for the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, before re-signing with the Kings. He was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

In Their Own Story

The arena was half-empty when the bus pulled up, the late-season crowd thinning out toward the parking lot. McNabb laced his skates in the tunnel, the rubber soles clicking against the concrete, and could hear the muffled roar of the remaining fans through the wall. He'd been in the OHL when he first watched Kings games on a cracked tablet in a team hotel, and now the smell of the ice was in his lungs, sharp and cold. A teammate tapped his shoulder—'Third shift, PK, you're on the point.' He nodded, grabbed his stick, and skated out under the lights. The puck dropped, the crowd noise swelled, and for one crisp, breathless minute, the long road from a small-town rink to this concrete-and-glass cathedral felt like it had been worth every single practice.

Reader's Guide

McNabb is a defenceman, not a forward or winger. He was not drafted by the Kings; he was acquired via trade. His AHL affiliates were the Rochester Americans (Sabres) and the Manchester Monarchs (Kings), not the Flint Firebirds. He played junior hockey for the Kootenay Ice of the WHL.

Did You Know?

• McNabb was selected 66th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
• He was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on March 5, 2014.
• McNabb won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.
• He was the Kootenay Ice captain from 2010–11.