Kolesar was drafted 69th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.[1] On June 24, 2017, Kolesar was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Vegas' second-round draft pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.[2] He was called up to the Golden Knights on January 10, 2020, and made his NHL debut the following night against the Blue Jackets.[3][4]
On March 22, 2021, Kolesar scored his first NHL goal in the third period of the Golden Knights 5–1 win against the St. Louis Blues.[5]
On June 13, 2023, Kolesar won his first Stanley Cup, with Vegas defeating the Florida Panthers 9-3 to win their first championship in franchise history.[6][7]
On December 13, 2024, during the 2024–25 season, and as a pending free agent, Kolesar signed a three-year extension with the Golden Knights, keeping him in Vegas through the 2027–28 season.[8]
Personal life
Kolesar was born on April 8, 1997, in Brandon, Manitoba[9] to former NFL and CFL linebacker K. D. Williams and Corrinne. The parents divorced following his birth and Corrinne remarried to Charles Peterson who played for the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League.[10] During the 2019–20 NHL season, Peterson contracted COVID-19. When Peterson's death became imminent in mid-September 2020, Kolesar left his team's bubble to say goodbye to his step-father.[11]
