Jeff Chiu/AP
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Mason Morelli (11) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the San Jose Sharks during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 19, 2024.
Published Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 | 3:34 p.m.
Updated Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 | 5:16 p.m.
Mason Morelli was not short on support for his NHL debut.
About 10 of Morelli's family and friends, most wearing No. 11 sweaters, were in attendance to watch the undrafted 28-year-old forward make his NHL debut. The longtime American Hockey League journeyman waited a long time for this moment.
He made sure to give his supporters something to be excited about.
Morelli scored his first NHL goal and had an assist in his big-league debut, helping the Golden Knights to a 4-0 win over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Monday.
"It was awesome," Morelli said. "A special moment."
Morelli scored a power-play goal at 19:12 of the first period to cap off a three-goal opening frame for the Golden Knights. He received a pass from Alex Pietrangelo while waiting in the slot and beat Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. He later had an assist on Keegan Kolesar's goal at 18:44 of the second period.
"I didn't see it go in right away," he said. "Once it went in, it was pretty cool. We were hooting and hollering a little bit."
Morelli has been a staple in AHL locker rooms, starting with Stockton in 2019 and then the past three years with the Hershey Bears, which included a run to the Calder Cup Trophy last season.
The former University of Nebraska-Omaha captain signed a two-way deal with Vegas this past summer. He was called up on Saturday with 23 points and 44 games under his belt at AHL Henderson.
"It was awesome to see him have that kind of a night," said forward Michael Amadio. "I think once he scored there, you saw his game elevate to the next level, get more comfortable."
Amadio scored, and William Karlsson notched his first goal since coming back from a monthlong absence due to a lower-body injury to give the Golden Knights (32-17-6) their first win in three games. Not lost in the Morelli shuffle was Logan Thompson recording his first shutout in over a year with 29 saves.
Thompson made his first start since Jan. 27, the final game before the All-Star break in a loss to Detroit, and made the most of it with his first shutout since Oct. 28, 2022, against the Anaheim Ducks.
The third period had been a problem for the Golden Knights in their last two games with losses to Minnesota and Carolina. Both games were tied heading into the third before Vegas allowed multiple goals in those frames for two tough home losses.
The Golden Knights didn't need to worry about that against a Sharks team that has the second fewest points in the NHL. They scored their first two goals in the first 4:25 of the game, with Karlsson's coming 1:57 after Amadio's breakaway goal at 2:28.
The Sharks hit two posts in the first minute-and-a-half but couldn't build off that momentum of nearly beating Thompson.
"We had a tough first shift, or couple. We got lucky," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I think we can still play through that stuff, but the fact we get a quick-hitter breakaway goal probably demoralizes them for a few minutes."
The Golden Knights improved to 24-2-5 all-time in the regular season against the Sharks. That includes a season-series sweep this year while outscoring their former division rivals 17-5 in four games.
Vegas returns home for the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators, and more help may be on the way. Defenseman Shea Theodore was activated from injured reserve prior to the game and took part in warmups, but did not play.
Theodore has been out since having surgery on an upper-body injury in November and is expected to play his first game since Nov. 22.
As the Golden Knights get healthier, moments like Morelli's debut will be nothing but a quick remembrance. With another game in 24 hours, he won't have much time to celebrate.
His family that was in attendance will surely make up for that.
"It's kind of hard to put into words," Morelli said. "They're a really good group of guys that have been very welcoming. Really cool."
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on X at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
