Pavel Dorofeyev Bio
Pavel Igorevich Dorofeyev (Russian: Павел Игоревич Дорофеев; born 26 October 2000) is a Russian professional ice hockey player who plays as a winger for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Standing 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) tall and weighing 194 lb (88 kg), he shoots left and has developed into a scoring presence on the wing. The Golden Knights selected him 79th overall in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and he has since grown into a regular contributor in their top-nine forward group.
Early Life and Background
Dorofeyev was born in Nizhny Tagil, an industrial city in the Sverdlovsk Oblast region of Russia, on 26 October 2000. He grew up within the well-known Russian hockey development system, joining the junior ranks of Metallurg Magnitogorsk, one of the most respected programs in the country. That early environment, where several future NHLers cut their teeth, helped him build the skating and puck skills that would later translate to North American ice.
From a young age, Dorofeyev worked his way through Metallurg’s youth structure, learning the disciplined two-way style favored by Russian clubs. His progress through the junior levels led to his first professional contract and the start of a senior career in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), a top professional league in Russia and Eurasia.
Path to Hockey
Dorofeyev’s path to the NHL began in the KHL with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he appeared in his first professional games. Following his second season in 2019–20, he was traded by Metallurg, along with three other prospects, to Traktor Chelyabinsk in exchange for Vladislav Semin on 11 June 2020.
The 2020–21 season started with Traktor’s affiliate, Chelmet Chelyabinsk, in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL), where he posted eight goals and 17 points in 36 regular-season games. He also made his lone KHL appearance with Traktor that year, a 4–2 victory over Kunlun Red Star on 7 October 2020. As the pandemic-delayed North American season approached, Dorofeyev ended his deal with Traktor and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on 25 January 2021.
Pavel Dorofeyev Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Dorofeyev began his professional career in 2018 within the Metallurg Magnitogorsk organization, working through the KHL and junior ranks. After his trade to Traktor Chelyabinsk in June 2020, he split his time between Chelmet Chelyabinsk of the VHL and a brief KHL stint with Traktor, showing enough offensive upside for NHL scouts to remain interested.
That promise was rewarded when the Vegas Golden Knights signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on 25 January 2021. He was then assigned to the Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas’ new AHL affiliate, joining their training camp as he prepared to make the jump to North American professional hockey.
NHL Breakthrough (2021–2023)
Dorofeyev made his NHL debut with Vegas in the 2021–22 season opener, a 4–3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. He spent most of that season and the following 2022–23 campaign with Henderson, refining his game in the AHL while waiting for another opportunity at the top level.
He was recalled to the Vegas roster in March 2023 and made an immediate impact. On 12 March 2023, he recorded his first NHL point and first NHL goal in the same game, assisting on a William Karlsson first-period goal and then scoring a go-ahead deflection goal off his helmet in the third period. He finished 2022–23 with seven goals and nine points in 18 games, and on 19 July 2023 he signed a one-year extension with Vegas as his entry-level deal expired.
Vegas Golden Knights Era (2023–Present)
In the 2023–24 season, Dorofeyev played a career-high 47 games, establishing himself as a regular in the Golden Knights’ lineup. His progression was rewarded again on 1 July 2024, when he signed a two-year extension keeping him with Vegas through 2026.
The 2024–25 campaign was a breakout year. On 14 January 2025, he scored his first career hat trick with a natural hat trick across the second and third periods of a 5–3 loss to the Nashville Predators. Two months later, on 20 March 2025, he added his second hat trick, netting three goals in a 5–1 victory over the Boston Bruins and reaching 30 goals for the first time in his career. He opened the 2025–26 season with his third career hat trick, scoring all three goals in the second period of a 6–5 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and after five goals in three games he was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for opening week.
Driving Style and Strengths
Dorofeyev is a left-shot winger known for his quick release, sharp shot, and willingness to drive to the net, as shown by his deflection goal off his helmet and his three hat tricks. He pairs his offensive instincts with responsible two-way play, fitting the structured, fast style preferred by the Golden Knights’ coaching staff.
Notable Events and Milestones
His signature milestones include his first NHL goal on 12 March 2023, his first hat trick on 14 January 2025, his first 30-goal season in 2024–25, and a third hat trick to open 2025–26 that earned him NHL First Star of the Week honors.
Pavel Dorofeyev Family
Personal Life
Public details about Dorofeyev’s personal and family life are limited. He is Russian, was raised in Nizhny Tagil, and developed through the Metallurg Magnitogorsk junior system, reflecting a classic Russian hockey upbringing focused on skill and discipline.
2025 Season Performance
Dorofeyev’s 2024–25 season marked his arrival as a top scoring winger for the Golden Knights. He set new personal bests in games played and goals, reached 30 goals for the first time, and produced two hat tricks, including a natural hat trick against the Nashville Predators and a three-goal performance against the Boston Bruins.
Building on that momentum, he opened the 2025–26 season with a third career hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings and was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week after five goals in three games. Under contract with Vegas through 2026, he enters the rest of 2025 as a key piece of the Golden Knights’ forward group, with strong early form suggesting another productive campaign.
