Mason Morelli

Mason Morelli (born February 1, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey center for Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). After playing junior ice hockey with the Minot Minotauros of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL), Morelli went undrafted into the National Hockey League (NHL), and subsequently played four years of college ice hockey at the University of Nebraska Omaha. After his time in Omaha, he spent several seasons in the minor leagues, signing his first professional contract with the Stockton Heat of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2019, followed by periods in the ECHL with the Kansas City Mavericks and South Carolina Stingrays. After winning the Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears in 2023, Morelli signed his first NHL contract with the Vegas Golden Knights in July 2023, and made his NHL debut for the Golden Knights in February 2024. Having scored both his first goal and first assist in his first game, Morelli is the first player in Golden Knights franchise history to record a multi-point game in his debut. Morelli was born on February 1, 1996, in Minot, North Dakota, U.S. to Matt and Kelly Morelli. Morelli's father and grandfather both played college ice hockey at the University of North Dakota; his grandfather Reg scored the game-winning overtime goal in the 1959 NCAA national championship, winning the North Dakota Fighting Sioux their first-ever NCAA title, and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. While Morelli was the only member of his immediate family to attend the University of Nebraska Omaha, Morelli's cousin Bella committed to compete with the Mavericks as a collegiate diver in 2022. Growing up in Minot, Morelli played for Minot High School in the North Dakota High School Activities Association and the Colorado Rampage in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. He played four games with the Rampage in 2011–12, tallying one assist and 20 penalty minutes.