Jeremy Lauzon Returns for Game 1, Gives Vegas Blue Line a Boost
jeremy lauzon is set to return to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at Lenovo Center. He comes back after missing time with an upper-body injury, giving Vegas a 6-foot-3, 225-pound defenseman back at the start of the series.
Lauzon Back Against Carolina
Lauzon had not played since he sustained the injury in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round against the Utah Mammoth on May 1. His return puts him back into the lineup for the opening game of the Final at 8 p.m. ET.
The defensive side of Vegas gets a clear piece back. Lauzon finished 10th in the NHL with 251 hits in the regular season, and he also posted 13 points in 68 games, including one goal and 12 assists. Those numbers fit the role he has played for the Golden Knights in his first season with the club.
Tortorella On Lauzon
John Tortorella called him a “Good solid positional defenseman.” He added, “Has some bite to him. He was missed.”
Tortorella also said, “He's one of those players that at the end of the night, you don't really see him that much, because of just the way he plays. There's no flair to it. He's just good positionally, and he does his job each and every shift. He anchors his position. The toughest position to play is defense. I just think he's very cerebral about it, and I just like his game.”
Vegas Pairing Plans
Lauzon said it was “probably the most anxious I've been watching games, that's for sure,” while the Golden Knights pushed through the run to the Final without him. He added, “But I never had a doubt that the guys would pull through.”
He is expected to pair with Dylan Coghlan, whom Lauzon described as “a great puck mover, a great skater and loves to jump in offensively.” Lauzon said of the pairing, “I think it fits in perfectly with my style of play. I think I'm going to create some space for him defensively, closing hard. So yeah, I'm excited to have the opportunity to get it going with him.” Kaedan Korczak is expected to be a healthy scratch.
Vegas acquired Lauzon and forward Colton Sissons from the Nashville Predators on June 30, 2025, in a trade that sent Nicolas Hague and a conditional third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to Nashville. The move now pays off in the Final, where the Golden Knights get a physical defender back for the opening game against Carolina.
