CALGARY, Alta. – Alumni of the Canadian Junior Hockey League is nicely represented, both on and off the ice, in the Stanley Cup Final between the upstart Vegas Golden Knights and the Washington Capitals.
Among the two teams, a total of nine CJHL alumni have seen playoff action in 2018 helping their respective sides move to within a series win of capturing hockey’s holy grail.
Seven of those alums skate for Vegas, who are now just three wins shy of potentially completing the greatest phenomena in hockey history.
As for Washington, they have a pair of ex-CJHLers in their postseason line-up.
Meanwhile both club general managers in George McPhee of the Golden Knights and the Capitals Brian MacLellan also boast CJHL roots as they were teammates on the Guelph Platers Jr. A side that captured the then Centennial Cup back in 1978.
The respective head coaches in the final also have CJHL connections.
Washington’s Barry Trotz served as head coach of the Dauphin Kings (MJHL) back in 1986-87 while Gerard Gallant of Vegas guided the Summerside Western Capitals (MHL) to a Canadian Jr. A championship a decade later.
The following is the list of CJHL alumni that have played at least one game in the Stanley Cup playoffs:
| PLAYER | NAME | POS. | NHL TEAM | CJHL TEAM | LEAGUE |
| James | Neal | F | Vegas Golden Knights | Bowmanville Eagles | OJHL |
| Reilly | Smith | F | Vegas Golden Knights | St. Michael’s Buzzers | OJHL |
| David | Perron | F | Vegas Golden Knights | Saint-Jérôme Panthéres | LHJAAAQ |
| Colin | Miller | D | Vegas Golden Knights | Soo Thunderbirds | NOJHL |
| Brad | Hunt | D | Vegas Golden Knights | Burnaby Express | BCHL |
| Jason | Garrison | D | Vegas Golden Knights | Nanaimo Clippers | BCHL |
| Malcolm | Subban | G | Vegas Golden Knights | Toronto Jr. Canadiens | OJHL |
| Jay | Beagle | F | Washington Capitals | Calgary Royals | AJHL |
| Braden | Holtby | G | Washington Capitals | Lloydminster Blazers | AJHL |
