Knights in the Morning: Defenseman Kaedan Korczak reflects on small-town roots, hockey upbringing in Canada

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak, hockey didn’t start in an arena. It started outside — on frozen ponds, under dark winter skies, in a small Canadian town where the game was simply part of daily life.

WATCH |He sat down with Taylor Rocha to talk more about where his love of the game started:

“It was awesome,” Korczak said of growing up in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. “Small community … went to school there, played hockey obviously for a long time.”

In a place where options were limited, hockey became the centerpiece of childhood.

“There’s not too much to do,” he said. “After school, you would go with your buddies and go to the outdoor rinks and kind of just play till it got dark out. So that was kind of our childhood.”

That experience — informal, unstructured and fueled by pure love of the game — is something many Canadian players share. It often begins with pond hockey, a concept that can feel foreign to those raised in warmer climates.

“It just gets so cold that it freezes up,” Korczak explained. “Guys just go out there, put their skates on and mess around — and that’s kind of how you fall in love with the game.”

Now playing in Las Vegas, Korczak has traded frozen ponds for desert heat — a transition that has required some adjustment.

“It’s been different for sure,” he said. “But no, it’s great. I love being here.”

The contrast between Yorkton and Las Vegas couldn’t be more stark, but Korczak’s foundation remains the same — built on long winter days, outdoor ice, and a passion for hockey that started before he ever stepped into a professional rink.

That background continues to shape his approach as he carves out his role with a Golden Knights team chasing another Stanley Cup — proof that even in the NHL, the game’s roots still matter.