Golden Knights sign Tanner Pearson to professional tryout

Tanner Pearson is heading to Las Vegas.

The Vegas Golden Knights announced they signed the forward to a professional tryout and he will join the team for training camp in September.

The 32-year-old has played for the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens throughout his 11-season NHL career, winning a Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014 during his rookie season.

During his five-year stint with the Canucks, Pearson struggled with injuries — including his final season in Vancouver, where he played just 14 games before he was shut down with a hand injury. The winger underwent three separate surgeries during his recovery.

At the time, then-teammate Quinn Hughes told reporters that he felt Pearson's recovery "wasn't handled properly" by the team, which sparked a firestorm of questions regarding the credibility of the Canucks' medical staff and an internal investigation by the team's front office. Following the investigation, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said he was satisfied with how Pearson's injury was handled.

When asked directly about Hughes' remarks in April 2023, Pearson declined to comment.

"The people who need to know, know,” Pearson said at the time. “Look, I’m just trying to get my hand back. I’m just trying to go home, be a dad and play with my kids, it sucks.”

Pearson wouldn't play for the Canucks after that, instead being traded to the Canadiens ahead of the 2023-24 season in exchange for goaltender Casey DeSmith. He played 54 games for the Canadiens, scoring five goals and 13 points.

Since his debut in the 2013-14 season, Pearson has 138 goals and 285 points in 644 games. He was selected 30th overall by the Kings at the 2012 NHL Draft.