Pavel Dorofeyev

Lore & Background

Dorofeyev played youth hockey in Russia with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. After the 2019–20 KHL season, he was traded by Metallurg along with three other prospects to Traktor Chelyabinsk in exchange for Vladislav Semin on 11 June 2020. He began the 2020–21 season with Chelmet Chelyabinsk of the Supreme Hockey League (VHL), recording eight goals and 17 points in 36 games, and made his lone KHL appearance with Traktor Chelyabinsk in a 4–2 victory over Kunlun Red Star on 7 October 2020. He ended his contract with Traktor and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on 25 January 2021, then joined the Henderson Silver Knights' training camp.

Dorofeyev made his NHL debut in Vegas' 2021–22 season opener, a 4–3 win over the Seattle Kraken. After spending most of the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons with Henderson, he was recalled in March 2023 and recorded his first NHL point and goal on 12 March 2023. He signed a one-year extension with Vegas on 19 July 2023, then a two-year extension on 1 July 2024 after a career-high 47 games in 2023–24. He scored his first career hat trick on 14 January 2025, his second on 20 March 2025 (securing his first 30-goal season), and his third in the 2025–26 season opener. After scoring in his next two games, he was named NHL First Star of the Week for opening week.

In the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Dorofeyev scored his first postseason hat trick in Game 5 of the first round against the Utah Mammoth, tying the game with under a minute left in regulation; the Golden Knights won 5–4 in double overtime. Vegas advanced to the Stanley Cup Final but lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games. On 26 June 2026, Dorofeyev was traded to the New York Rangers for two first-round picks and a third-round pick, and four days later signed a seven-year, $77 million extension.

Reader's Guide

Pavel Dorofeyev's career with the Vegas Golden Knights spanned from his draft in 2019 through the 2025–26 season, during which he developed from a Russian junior player into a consistent NHL scorer. His notable achievements include three regular-season hat tricks—the first a natural hat trick against Nashville, the second in a win over Boston that marked his first 30-goal season, and the third in the season opener against Los Angeles—as well as a playoff hat trick in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. That postseason goal, a game-tying deflection with less than a minute left in regulation, helped force double overtime and a series win over Utah. The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final that year but fell to Carolina in six games. Dorofeyev's trade to the New York Rangers on 26 June 2026 for two first-round picks and a third-round pick, followed by a seven-year, $77 million contract, marked the end of his tenure in Vegas. His time with the Golden Knights is defined by his rapid scoring growth, multiple hat tricks, and a deep playoff run.

Did You Know?

• Dorofeyev scored his first NHL goal on a deflection off his own helmet on 12 March 2023.
• He recorded a natural hat trick (three consecutive goals) on 14 January 2025 against the Nashville Predators.
• His first playoff hat trick came in Game 5 of the 2026 first round, with the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation.