Tyler Wong: Just who is this star of Golden Knights' first game?

Jim Cerny

Tyler Wong: Just who is this star of Golden Knights' first game? image

In the aftermath of the Vegas Golden Knights 9-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in their first-ever preseason game Sunday, it seemed hockey fans from all over had the same question.

Just who is this Tyler Wong?

The simple answer is that Wong is the player who scored Vegas' first-ever goal and recorded its first hat trick and four-point game on Sunday. The bigger story is that he is an undersized, undrafted rookie pro, who is actually in training camp on an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves.

 

In other words, Wong is a long-shot to make the opening-night roster; but now is one who raised his profile considerably with a dynamic performance against the Canucks.

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While Golden Knights officials have to be thrilled with the 21-year-old's eye-opening outing, they, too, are aware that Sunday's game was a notch or two above a training camp scrimmage. With their best players en-route to China to play a pair of preseason games later this week against the Kings, the Canucks did not exactly ice an overly-competitive lineup Sunday. And even Vegas went heavy on young prospects, with the likes of James Neal, Jonathan Marchessault and company remaining back in the desert while the kids traveled north of the border.

Still, three goals is three goals, and four points is still a big night. And Wong, who hails from Alberta, looked impressive racking up those totals -- certainly his game-opening goal was highlight-worthy and his last was unassisted.

 

Scoring is something that comes naturally to the 5-foot-9 Wong. As an overaged player in the admittedly high-scoring Western Hockey League last season, Wong scored 51 goals and 109 points in 69 games for Lethbridge. He had 43 goals and 89 points the year before -- a season which ended with a PTO with the Toronto Marlies where he picked up an assist in three games, if not a contract for the following season.

ElitePrsopects.com calls Wong "a stingy two-way forward..a true all-around player". Needless to say, his diminuitive stature is something he's had to overcome his whole career, and is an even bigger onbstacle now as he turns pro.

Yet, at least at the start of the preseason here, Wong's name is being mentioned in the same breath as other top Vegas prospects like first-rounders Cody Glass, who had two assists Sunday, and Nick Suzuki, who added a goal and an assist.

Jim Cerny