Dylan Coghlan, a Nanaimo minor hockey graduate, is poised to make his NHL debut with the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, Feb. 5. (Vegas Golden Knights)

By Ian Holmes

big night

Nanaimo’s Dylan Coghlan to make NHL debut with Vegas Golden Knights

Feb 5, 2021 | 2:26 PM

NANAIMO — Dylan Coghlan is hours away from being the first player from Nanaimo in nearly 30 years to suit up in an NHL regular season game.

The Vegas Golden Knights announced Coghlan, a 22-year-old defenceman, will draw into the lineup Friday night versus the visiting Los Angeles Kings.

Coghlan’s path to the NHL was hard earned, having to prove himself as an undrafted walk-on at development camps with the Detroit Red Wings and Vegas.

He signed an entry level contract with Vegas after impressing during a tryout prior to the 2017-2018 season.

The smooth skating defender with a lethal shot surged up Vegas’ defence depth chart while mounting 66 points in two full AHL seasons with the Chicago Wolves.

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Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer praised Coghlan, calling him a “world class skater” during a recent feature on the Nanaimo product on the team’s YouTube channel.

“When you’re looking for a defenceman with how the game is now being played — big, strong, (can) skate, good offensive instincts. There’s a lot there to like, he’s knocking on the door,” DeBoer said.

Only a handful of players from Nanaimo ever played a regular season NHL game, according to hockey-reference.com.

Former Vancouver Canuck forward Barry Pederson grew up in Nanaimo and was the last player from the city to play an NHL regular season game in the 1991/92 season with Boston.

Trent Kaese played one regular season game with the Buffalo Sabres in the 1988/89 season.

An exceptionally proud Kaese has held off on contacting Coghlan until after he plays his first game.

“He had a dream and a goal that he set and it’s just sheer determination, that’s why he got as far as he did because of his effort and never giving up,” he told NanaimoNewsNOW.

“It’s just so hard to do,” Kaese said of making it to the NHL. “He can now pave the way for some of the younger kids in Nanaimo trying to grow up and play there, go there. Hopefully that will push off on people the right way.”

Forwards Gene Carr and Wayne Bianchin of Nanaimo played in the NHL in the 1970’s, while Nanaimo’s Al Hill played in the the league as a centre in the 70’s and 80’s.

Torrie Jung of Nanaimo technically made his way onto an NHL regular season game sheet during the 2009/2010 season with the Edmonton Oilers as an emergency backup goaltender, but he did not play.

Goaltender Dylan Ferguson of Lantzville played a portion of one regular season period for the Golden Knights in the 2017/2018 season.

Coghlan and the Golden Knights take on the Kings on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. on Sportsnet.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes