Brayden Pachal Explained

Brayden Pachal (born August 23, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Vegas Golden Knights, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2023.

Playing career

Pachal began in Junior A hockey with the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), before joining the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 2015–16 season. Pachal spent a season and a half with Victoria, before being traded to the Prince Albert Raiders during the 2016–17 season.^[1] Pachal would then spend the next two seasons with Prince Albert, being named captain of the team ahead of the 2018–19 season;^[2] the same year, Pachal would lead the Raiders to their second WHL Championship.

As an undrafted free agent, Pachal was signed to a three-year entry-level contract by the Vegas Golden Knights on September 20, 2019, joining Vegas' then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Chicago Wolves shortly afterward.^[3]

On January 20, 2022, in the midst of the 2021–22 season, Pachal was named captain of the Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas' new AHL affiliate.^[4] Pachal made his NHL debut with Vegas on March 15, 2022.^[5]

As a restricted free agent, Pachal signed a one-year contract extension with Vegas on July 28, 2022.^[6] Pachal recorded his first NHL point on December 15, 2022, with a secondary assist on Reilly Smith's empty-net goal against the Chicago Blackhawks.^[7] Pachal then made his NHL playoff debut on April 27, 2023, in the series-clinching Game 5 of the Golden Knights' first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.^{[8] [9]} Vegas then went on to win the Stanley Cup Finals; despite Pachal only playing ten regular-season games and one playoff game, the Golden Knights requested an exemption to have Pachal's name engraved on the Stanley Cup alongside the rest of the team.^[10]

At the conclusion of his contract, and again as a restricted free agent, Pachal signed a further two-year extension with Vegas on June 28, 2023.^[11] After making the Golden Knights' opening-night roster for the 2023–24 season,^[12] Pachal scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2023, against the San Jose Sharks.^[13]

After 17 games with Vegas during the season, Pachal was placed on waivers on February 3, 2024, and claimed by the Calgary Flames the following day.^[14]

Family

Pachal is a grandson of Vern Pachal, who played for the University of Alberta and at the minor professional level in the early 1950s in the Eastern Hockey League and American Hockey League. His second cousin Clayton Pachal played in the NHL for the Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies.^[15]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014–15	Estevan Bruins	SJHL		3	0	1	1	0		3	1	0	1	2
2015–16	Victoria Royals	WHL		40	1	5	6	29		12	0	1	1	8
2016–17	Victoria Royals	WHL		35	0	3	3	46		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL		30	3	9	12	37		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL		68	7	19	26	100		7	1	3	4	6
2018–19	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL		66	15	36	51	113		23	1	7	8	28
2019–20	Chicago Wolves	AHL		48	1	9	10	44		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Fort Wayne Komets	ECHL		4	0	2	2	2		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Henderson Silver Knights	AHL		24	2	5	7	16		5	0	2	2	5
2021–22	Henderson Silver Knights	AHL		65	2	9	11	90		2	0	0	0	4
2021–22	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Henderson Silver Knights	AHL		55	3	12	15	90		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		10	0	2	2	8		1	0	0	0	2
2023–24	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		17	1	0	1	12		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Calgary Flames	NHL		33	1	5	6	39		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				62	2	7	9	59		1	0	0	0	2

Awards and honours

Award	Year
WHL
Champion	2019
East Second All-Star Team	2019
AHL
All-Star Game	2023	[16]
NHL
Stanley Cup champion	2023	[17]

Notes and References

1. Web site: ROYALS COMPLETE TRADE WITH RAIDERS. Victoria Royals. victoriaroyals.com. January 9, 2017. February 3, 2022.
2. Web site: Punkari. Lucas. Pachal named Raiders captain. Prince Albert Daily Herald. August 24, 2018. February 3, 2022.
3. Web site: Golden Knights Sign Defenseman Brayden Pachal To Entry-Level Contract. nhl.com. September 20, 2019. February 3, 2022.
4. Web site: BRAYDEN PACHAL NAMED CAPTAIN OF SILVER KNIGHTS. Henderson Silver Knights. January 20, 2022. February 3, 2022.
5. Web site: Estevan's Brayden Pachal makes NHL debut with the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday night. sasktoday.com. March 16, 2022. March 25, 2022.
6. Web site: Vegas Golden Knights Sign Defenseman Brayden Pachal to One-Year Contract. NHL.com. July 28, 2022. August 23, 2022.
7. Web site: Vegas Golden Knights - Chicago Blackhawks - December 15, 2022. NHL.com. December 15, 2022.
8. Web site: Winnipeg Jets - Vegas Golden Knights - April 27, 2023. NHL.com. April 27, 2023.
9. Web site: Monumental Firsts: Captain Brayden Pachal's NHL Playoff Debut . Henderson Silver Knights . May 3, 2023 . May 4, 2023.
10. Web site: Names Engraved on Stanley Cup . NHL.com . July 7, 2023 . July 7, 2023.
11. Web site: VGK Sign Defenseman Brayden Pachal to Two-Year Contract Extension . NHL.com . June 28, 2023 . June 28, 2023.
12. Web site: Gotz . Ben . Golden Knights begin season with special lineup . Las Vegas Review-Journal . October 10, 2023 . October 13, 2023.
13. Web site: Willberg . David . Estevan's Brayden Pachal scores first career NHL goal . SaskToday.ca . October 13, 2023 . October 13, 2023.
14. Web site: Flames Claim Brayden Pachal . Calgary Flames . February 4, 2024.
15. News: Raiders captain Brayden Pachal has intangibles NHL teams should like. April 25, 2019. The Edmonton Journal. Matheson. Jim. March 16, 2022.
16. Web site: Silver Knights Captain Brayden Pachal Named to AHL All-Star Classic . Henderson Silver Knights . January 27, 2023 . March 28, 2023.
17. Web site: Golden Knights' Stanley Cup win cements Las Vegas as a big-time sports city . . June 14, 2023 . June 14, 2023.