Braeden Hemmerling Named AHL Rookie of the Month for Henderson Silver Knights

The American Hockey League announced on March 3, 2026 that Henderson Silver Knights forward Ben Hemmerling has been named the Upper Deck/AHL Rookie of the Month for February after a nine-game run that produced six goals, four assists and a plus-6 rating for 10 points. The award caps a month in which Hemmerling posted points in six of nine games for Henderson.

Hemmerling’s February was heavy on milestone moments. He scored in back-to-back games against Coachella Valley on Feb. 6-7, registered his first career two-goal game at San Jose on Feb. 15, assisted on the tiebreaking goal in a 6-3 win over Abbotsford on Feb. 20, and delivered his first career three-point effort with two goals and an assist in a 4-2 victory against the Colorado Eagles on Feb. 28.

The 21-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., is in his first full professional season after missing most of the 2024-25 campaign due to injury. Hemmerling made his pro debut with Henderson on Mar. 8, 2025 and, according to AHL background material, went on to record one goal and one assist in 17 appearances that season. This season-to-date, the sixth-round pick (177th overall) of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2022 draft has collected 16 goals and 31 points in 47 games, per the Henderson release.

Henderson’s release also frames Hemmerling’s numbers in franchise context: he has appeared in 64 AHL games over parts of two seasons from 2024-26, totaling 17 goals and 33 points, and he sits tied for third among AHL rookies in goal-scoring and tied for ninth in points. The team notes he is two goals and nine points shy of matching the Silver Knights single-season rookie records for goals and points, and Hemmerling becomes the first Silver Knight to be named Rookie of the Month and the first Silver Knight to earn a monthly league award since Logan Thompson was honored as the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month in March 2021.

One editorial footnote: the user-provided headline used the name Braeden Hemmerling, but every authoritative release from the AHL and the Henderson Silver Knights identifies the player as Ben Hemmerling. The AHL and team materials list his age (21), height (5-foot-11), draft status (2022, sixth round, 177th overall by Vegas) and junior background (four seasons with Everett in the WHL, team captain and scoring leader in 2023-24).

With a February that included his first multi-goal and first three-point games and his climb into the upper ranks of AHL rookie scoring, Hemmerling is a prospect to monitor as Henderson chases wins and he closes the gap on the franchise rookie scoring marks while remaining a Golden Knights prospect.