The Vegas Golden Knights will be doing their fair share of welcoming back players to T-Mobile Arena this season.
But the San Jose Sharks are preparing to do the same for forward Tomáš Hertl. Hertl will play his first game in SAP Center as an opposing team member when the Golden Knights face the Sharks on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“I’m excited for it. I can’t really tell you the feelings right now,” Hertl said. “It’ll be weird when I am on the other side and on the visiting team because I played 11 years [there.] We have some great rounds. I definitely want to thank the fans because I played there for a long time.”
Hertl spent 11 seasons with the Sharks, who drafted the Czech at age 20. He was a long-time franchise cornerstone, helping lead them to five playoff appearances and one Stanley Cup final. Hertl scored 218 goals with 266 assists in 712 career games with the Sharks.
He was traded to Vegas along with a 2025 and 2027 third-round pick on March 8 for a 2025 first-round pick, David Edstrom (Vegas’s first-round pick in 2023). The Sharks also retained 17 percent of Hertl’s salary.
Hertl has worked towards getting into a groove since arriving in Vegas. His linemates have been shuffled around throughout his time as a Golden Knight. Despite this, he has 12 goals and 16 assists in 40 career games with Vegas.
Despite the memories and inevitable “Welcome Back” video from the Sharks, Hertl understands the goal: help the Golden Knights win their first straight and ninth game in 10.
“I want to still take the two points from there and have a good time,” Hertl said. “At the same time, I can’t wait to get over with it because I don’t really know what to expect from it. Honestly, I have never been in this situation in my life.”
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
