Brayden Pachal

Brayden Pachal (born August 23, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Vegas Golden Knights, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2023.

Playing career Pachal began in Junior A hockey with the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), before joining the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 2015–16 season. Pachal spent a season and a half with Victoria, before being traded to the Prince Albert Raiders during the 2016–17 season. Pachal would then spend the next two seasons with Prince Albert, being named captain of the team ahead of the 2018–19 season; the same year, Pachal would lead the Raiders to their second WHL Championship.

As an undrafted free agent, Pachal was signed to a three-year entry-level contract by the Vegas Golden Knights on September 20, 2019, joining Vegas' then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Chicago Wolves shortly afterward.

On January 20, 2022, in the midst of the 2021–22 season, Pachal was named captain of the Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas' new AHL affiliate. Pachal made his NHL debut with Vegas on March 15, 2022.

As a restricted free agent, Pachal signed a one-year contract extension with Vegas on July 28, 2022. Pachal recorded his first NHL point on December 15, 2022, with a secondary assist on Reilly Smith's empty-net goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. Pachal then made his NHL playoff debut on April 27, 2023, in the series-clinching game five of the Golden Knights' first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. Vegas then went on to win the Stanley Cup Final; despite Pachal only playing ten regular-season games and one playoff game, the Golden Knights requested an exemption to have Pachal's name engraved on the Stanley Cup alongside the rest of the team.

At the conclusion of his contract, and again as a restricted free agent, Pachal signed a further two-year extension with Vegas on June 28, 2023. After making the Golden Knights' opening-night roster for the 2023–24 season, Pachal scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2023, against the San Jose Sharks.

After 17 games with Vegas during the season, Pachal was placed on waivers on February 3, 2024, and claimed by the Calgary Flames the following day. Establishing himself as a steady presence on the Flames' blueline early into the season, Pachal signed a 2-year, $2.375 million extension with Flames on December 17, 2024.

Family Pachal is a grandson of Vern Pachal, who played for the University of Alberta and at the minor professional level in the early 1950s in the Eastern Hockey League and American Hockey League. His second cousin Clayton Pachal played in the NHL for the Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies.

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2014–15 Estevan Bruins SJHL 3 0 1 1 0 3 1 0 1 2 2015–16 Victoria Royals WHL 40 1 5 6 29 12 0 1 1 8 2016–17 Victoria Royals WHL 35 0 3 3 46 — — — — — 2016–17 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 30 3 9 12 37 — — — — — 2017–18 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 68 7 19 26 100 7 1 3 4 6 2018–19 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 66 15 36 51 113 23 1 7 8 28 2019–20 Chicago Wolves AHL 48 1 9 10 44 — — — — — 2019–20 Fort Wayne Komets ECHL 4 0 2 2 2 — — — — — 2020–21 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 24 2 5 7 16 5 0 2 2 5 2021–22 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 65 2 9 11 90 2 0 0 0 4 2021–22 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2022–23 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 55 3 12 15 90 — — — — — 2022–23 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 10 0 2 2 8 1 0 0 0 2 2023–24 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 17 1 0 1 12 — — — — — 2023–24 Calgary Flames NHL 33 1 5 6 39 — — — — — 2024–25 Calgary Flames NHL 76 3 9 12 88 — — — — — 2025–26 Calgary Flames NHL 39 1 6 7 47 — — — — — NHL totals 177 6 22 28 194 1 0 0 0 2

Awards and honours Award Year WHL Champion 2019 East Second All-Star Team 2019 AHL All-Star Game 2023 NHL Stanley Cup champion 2023