If Jack Eichel could live at a hockey rink, he probably would. That’s how dedicated the Vegas Golden Knights center is to his craft.
This is the same player who will join an optional skate, shoot 100 pucks into a net and say it was just because he wanted extra touches. He’s been one of the hardest-working players in the organization since he arrived in 2021.
November will mark five years since the Knights acquired Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres. There’s a case that it was the most pivotal transaction in franchise history.
The results over the past four years have proven that. Eichel has won a Stanley Cup, reached the Cup Final twice, won an Olympic gold medal and has become one of, if not the main, faces for hockey in the United States.
“There’s been a few moments where I’m trying to sit back when you have the time and think about how fast things have went,” Eichel said. “This is my 12th year in the NHL, which is pretty crazy, man. It’s been a really amazing journey here in Vegas.”
Even when away from the rink, Eichel doesn’t turn his brain off from hockey. He’s always working on his conditioning, whether it be using his home sauna or the cold tub. Eichel is always looking for ways to keep his mind engaged on hockey. It would have to take something seismic to shift his priorities.
Like becoming a first-time dad.
Eichel’s wife, Erin, gave birth to their first child during the offseason, a baby girl named Eleanor. In a locker room full of dads who have grown their families in the past year, Eichel is now a member of the fatherhood club.
Mark Stone, Nic Dowd, Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore all added to their growing families in the offseason.
‘Hockey’s hockey’
Eichel isn’t one to share his private life to the world. He’s always been a reserved person. Outside of his love for classic rock and his desire to see Tame Impala in concert one day, Eichel always keeps to himself.
When sitting down to discuss this new chapter of his life, the only thing Eichel asked was a way to keep it centered on hockey.
Which prompted the question to someone who doesn’t turn his brain off from hockey: How do you turn it off now?
“Hockey’s hockey. I understand there’s a finite amount of time in which we have to play this game and compete and play in the NHL, so I understand that,” Eichel said. “At the same time, having somebody that relies on you … when I go home, your priority is a little different.”
Ask any of the other dads on the roster, and they’ll tell you they wouldn’t be able to do what they do without their wives.
The same goes for Eichel. He and Erin have been together since 2015 and got married in 2025.
The night before training camp opened, Eichel slept in the guest room of their house so that he could be well-rested before he begins another season. Eichel said Erin has always known she would make a great mother one day.
“My wife is doing great,” Eichel said. “She allows me to still do the things that I feel like I need to do to perform, be a player and be who I am.
“Obviously, it’s a lot of that goes into being a parent. Just kind of sharing that with my wife has been a lot of fun.”
Still an adjustment
Eichel admitted it’s difficult sometimes to shut off his brain from hockey. It’s tough to flip that switch when business picks up again, especially after a short offseason. It’s a glaring reminder to Eichel that he and the Knights came two wins shy of winning a second championship in four years.
Eichel has been at the helm of it all since he arrived in Las Vegas. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon long said that in order for teams to compete for a championship, a No. 1 center is one of those top priorities.
Eichel has turned into more than just a No. 1 center. He’s evolved into one of the elite two-way players in the NHL. He’s received consideration for the Selke Trophy. He takes on the opposition’s best players every night without hesitation and relishes that challenge.
Eichel is the only Knights player to have reached the 90-point mark, and he’s done it the past two seasons. And yet there’s a lingering thought every year that there’s another level he could reach, especially when the past three seasons have ended without him hoisting the 35-pound silver trophy.
“Jack’s goal is to win another Stanley Cup. I know that from our conversations,” coach Ryan Craig said. “For him, like a lot of our guys, (the question) is, ‘what is your legacy going to be?’ Are you going to be a multiple Stanley Cup champion? Can you continue to elevate your game? Which I believe he can, to be an even better 200-foot player than he has been.”
Don’t discount the new dad strength. Ask the players on the 2023 team who became first-time dads and ask how that ended up. Each of them said the same thing: It does help to get away from the rink and realize there’s another purpose to life.
“There’s a hunger to share that with your family. And I think it’s a new perspective,” Craig said. “It can be a very good perspective in the sense of when you go home as a dad after a tough night or have a tough week, your kids don’t look at you any differently. They’re still going to wake up early. They’re still going to want their breakfast. They want to sit on the couch with Dad, hang out with Dad, all those things.
“That’s where I think it can release you a little bit, that you can get away from the game a little bit and you come back ready to do it again.”
Back to work
This year is the first season where Eichel is officially home, to a degree. His franchise record eight-year, $108 million contract officially kicks in this season.
The clock is ticking for Eichel to build on that legacy. It may seem like a long ways away, but the pressure mounts for the Knights to get more than one title. Eichel has become that player where it doesn’t matter what he does in the regular season. He will be defined by what he does in the playoffs.
It might come down to the reality that Eichel hasn’t scored enough goals in the playoffs. He had two last postseason. It’s never defined him. He’s always established he’s a playmaker first. Maybe it’s the self-inflicted pressure to wanting to prove he belongs as one of the best players in the league. That might be his next level.
There’s one person who won’t care about any of that. It’s the little girl waiting for him at home. And it might be the best thing to happen to him.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t want to take it for granted, being here and playing for this organization, getting to come to work every day and what it means to be a part of this organization” Eichel said. “I’m just really grateful for the chance to land on my feet here and everything that’s come with that.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
