Dylan Coghlan

Lore & Background

Coghlan learned to skate in Port Hardy, British Columbia, after his family moved there. He played for several minor hockey programs across north and central Vancouver Island as his family relocated multiple times. While living in Nanaimo, he gained exposure to Western Hockey League scouts and skated in the Nanaimo Minor Hockey system from 2009 to 2013 before joining the North Island Silvertips of the BC Hockey Major Midget League at age 15. He spent the 2012–13 season with the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League, recording 18 goals and 40 points in 34 games, leading to his selection in the third round, 63rd overall, by the Tri-City Americans in the 2013 Bantam Draft. After going undrafted in the NHL, he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights as a free agent on September 20, 2017, following the team's inaugural development and training camp. On March 10, 2021, he scored his first career NHL goal and his first career NHL hat trick against the Minnesota Wild, becoming the third defenceman in NHL history to score his first three career goals in the same game, and the first rookie and first defenceman to record a hat trick for the Golden Knights. He was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes with Max Pacioretty on July 13, 2022, for future considerations. After two seasons with Carolina, he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets on July 6, 2024, for future considerations. Following one season with the Jets, he re-joined the Golden Knights on a one-year contract on July 1, 2025. Recalled from the AHL on January 8, 2026, he played his first game for Vegas in nearly four years that same day, recording just under 16 minutes in a 5–3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. During the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, he was recalled on May 3, 2026, after an injury to Jeremy Lauzon, and remained in the lineup even after Lauzon returned. He scored his first playoff goal in Game 1 of the Western Conference final against the Colorado Avalanche and added two assists in 13 playoff games. He played five of six games in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, which the Golden Knights lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. He signed a two-year extension with Vegas on July 1, keeping him through the 2027–28 season.

Reader's Guide

Dylan Coghlan's significance lies in his unusual path to NHL notability and his resilience in returning to the Vegas Golden Knights after multiple trades. As an undrafted free agent, he made an immediate mark by scoring a hat trick for his first three NHL goals, a feat achieved by only two other defencemen in league history. That performance also made him the first rookie and first defenceman to record a hat trick for the Golden Knights franchise. His career then took him through two other organizations—the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets—before he re-signed with Vegas in 2025. His return culminated in a deep playoff run in 2026, where he scored his first playoff goal in the Western Conference final and played in five games of the Stanley Cup Final against his former team, the Hurricanes. His ability to earn a two-year contract extension after that postseason underscores his value as a depth defenceman who can step into expanded roles when needed. Coghlan's legacy is that of a late-blooming, undrafted player who carved out a notable NHL career through perseverance and timely contributions.

Did You Know?

• Coghlan scored his first three NHL goals in the same game—a hat trick—against the Minnesota Wild on March 10, 2021.
• He was the first rookie and first defenceman to register a hat trick in Golden Knights franchise history.
• Coghlan played five games in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, which Vegas lost to his former team, the Carolina Hurricanes.