STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights and the American Hockey League’s Henderson Silver Knights, announced that Connor Jones has been named the second head coach in team history.
Jones joins the Knight Monsters from Princeton University, where he spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach, helping lead the Tigers to 30 wins. Prior to Princeton, Jones served as a college scout for the Vegas Golden Knights organization from 2022-24.
“I want to thank David Hodges, Tim Tebow, and the Tahoe Knight Monsters organization for believing in me and trusting me with this opportunity,” Jones said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the confidence they’ve shown in me, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. From everything I’ve seen and everyone I’ve spoken with, it’s clear this organization has built something special in a short amount of time. Coach Loh and his staff deserve a lot of credit for establishing a strong foundation, and I’m excited for the opportunity to build on what they’ve started. My family and I are excited to get to Tahoe and become part of the community. Our team is going to work hard every day, compete the right way, and represent this organization with excellence both on and off the ice. With the opportunity to develop players within the Golden Knights system, our group will have a clear purpose every time we step on the ice. I can’t wait to get to Tahoe, meet our fans, and get to work.”
During his playing days, Jones competed in 153 collegiate games with Quinnipiac University, where he served as an alternate captain in his final two seasons. In his professional career, he skated in 290 AHL games with the Oklahoma City Barons and Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 79 ECHL games for the Bakersfield Condors and Fort Wayne Komets and four National Hockey League games with the New York Islanders during the 2016-17 campaign.
Jones also spent the 2019-20 season overseas in Switzerland with HC Thurgau, racking up 27 points (8g-19a) in 44 games, ranking third on the team. The Montrose, British Columbia native also played overseas the following year with Västerviks IK in Sweden, where he played alongside his twin brother, Kellen.
“We are excited to welcome Connor Jones as the new head coach of the Tahoe Knight Monsters,” Knight Monsters owner David Hodges said. “We are blessed to have Connor, his wife Stephanie, and their family become a part of the Knight Monsters family. We look forward to continuing to build momentum on and off the ice under Coach Jones’ leadership.”
