The NHL's Vegas Golden Knights are showing more interest in Flin Flon's Justin Lies. The 18-year-old forward is Las Vegas bound to take part in the team's annual rookie camp.
The Flin Flonner was announced as one of 17 forwards invited to the team's camp, which opened Sept. 14. The team will also bring a squad of rookies to the Rookie Faceoff Tournament, an all-rookie event from Sept. 16-19 which will pit prospects of NHL Pacific Division teams against one another.
Lies was not drafted by an NHL team last summer, but the Golden Knights have since shown interest in Lies. Back in July, Lies was one of 24 forwards invited to the Golden Knights' prospect development camp. The camps, which are held by most teams shortly after the draft and before training camps or preseason, are meant to spotlight the team’s drafted prospects and possible future signees.
Lies had an up-and-down season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants last season, finishing the year with 16 points in 50 games. The highs included taking down the top-ranked Everett Silvertips in the first round of the playoffs and scoring a goal and being interviewed during a game broadcast nationally on TSN - the lows included missing a month of action with an injury and going a month without picking up a single point.
Lies was moved by the Giants to the Saskatoon Blades earlier this summer, being traded to the Bridge City for forward Kyren Gronick and a second round pick in the 2025 WHL bantam draft. Lies is one of five Blades players attending NHL rookie camps this fall.
“He is very difficult to play against and creates room for his linemates every shift,” said Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner of Lies following the trade.
“We think he brings an element that was missing from our team with his style of play and his competitiveness.”
Growing up, Lies played with Flin Flon Minor Hockey programs, as well as the Norman Wolves U15 AAA team. He and his younger brother Joey, also from Flin Flon and a prospect of the WHL's Swift Current Broncos, hold most of the Wolves' scoring records - both also captained the Wolves. Lies moved from Flin Flon at age 14 to play at Winnipeg's Rink Hockey Academy and played for Manitoba at the 2018 Canada Winter Games.
