Vegas Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb (3) and Keegan Kolesar (55) celebrate Kolesar's goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Vegas Golden Knights' game against the Winnipeg Jets last week was a homecoming of sorts for forward Keegan Kolesar.
Kolesar's family made the trip from Brandon, Manitoba, which is about two and a half hours away from Winnipeg, to watch him play.
It's been a tradition for Kolesar to see his family whenever he makes the trip up north. But what was unexpected on this year's trip was a three-year contract extension.
"There was a lot of excitement and surprise," Kolesar said. "It was a nice moment to have my family when I was in Winnipeg, and it was nice to have my teammates supporting me."
Earning a spot on the Golden Knights' third and fourth lines over the past four seasons, Kolesar signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract extension. He becomes the third Golden Knights player to sign an extension this season, alongside Brett Howden and Shea Theodore.
Kolesar said he didn't take the extension for granted.
"You never know until you sign the paper," he said. "I just got off practice, got the call, and I was thrilled."
Kolesar is among the few players on the roster considered "glue guys" -- players who keep everything and everyone together.
General Manager Kelly McCrimmon has made an effort this season to re-sign as many of those players as possible.
Kolesar is having one of the best offensive seasons of his career. He has seven goals in 31 games, just one goal away from tying his single-season record. He is on pace for 29 points, which would be the best of his career.
One of his biggest nights this season came when he recorded three points in a 5-0 win over the Calgary Flames in October. Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy emphasized just how important the fourth line is to Vegas' success.
"I put a lot of value in those pieces on that line for various reasons," Cassidy said. "They're physical, play directly north and can push the tempo of a game by having heavy forecheck. They know what they are, but now you get offense from them."
Kolesar said it has been fun and exciting being around this team. "We're getting better as the season goes on, and I think we're building more chemistry," he said.
One of the players Kolesar has connected with and learned from this season is Tanner Pearson. In the preseason, Pearson was trying to earn a contract for his paid tryout, and Kolesar was one of the players heavily campaigning for Pearson to stay.
The pair have been linemates for most of the season and have become close on and off the ice. Kolesar said Pearson lives two houses from him.
"He's a tremendous player. We're pretty close to each other, and I have learned a lot from him," Kolesar said. "He's been around the game for a long time, and he's always teaching us young guys something."
Nearing the halfway point of the season, Vegas is flirting with becoming the best team in the NHL, just four points behind the Jets for the top spot. And it's been a team effort getting there.
"Every person is important in this locker room," Kolesar said.