Ice hockey in the middle of the desert

The period between the initial idea and the actual founding dragged on. Not only in Las Vegas, but throughout the ice hockey world, experts and fans alike shook their heads. Yet Nevada's visionaries refused to be discouraged and remained faithful to their passion project.

In August 2014, the city began building the multi-purpose "T-Mobile Arena", incorporating the possibility of hosting ice hockey games into its plans. Rumours were rife, with talk turning to a new NHL franchise. The Hockey Vision Las Vegas group decided to give it a try: it launched a season-ticket sale for a fictional ice hockey team, aiming to sell 10.000 tickets this way.

Within just 36 hours, half the tickets had been sold, followed by the other half shortly afterwards. Those interested only had to pay 10 per cent of the total, rather than the full amount. Still, it had now been proven that there was at least a small piece of ice in the hearts of the desert dwellers.

Las Vegas versus Québec: Who would secure the coveted franchise?

In June 2015, the efforts were rewarded: ice hockey fans received official confirmation from the NHL that a new franchise was, so to speak, in the air. By then, not only 10.000 but 13.200 virtual season tickets had been sold – and the initiators had submitted a corresponding application to America's top ice hockey league.

Unfortunately, there was a rival bidder: Québec City wanted its Québec Nordiques back after losing them to Colorado years earlier. Las Vegas prevailed over the Canadian metropolis through several exciting stages of the bidding process, and on 22 June 2016, the positive decision arrived.

The NHL's 31st franchise was allowed to begin in the 2017/18 season and bring the desert to life in a new, previously unknown way. Until that point, the entire state of Nevada had not been represented in any of the four North American sports leagues, be it the NHL, NFL, NBA or MLB. Something entirely new had begun and gathered considerable momentum from the outset.

Name, colours, logo: the birth of the Vegas Golden Knights

Who were the "newcomers" on the ice? The team needed a name, logos and colours. The former was decided fairly early, with the team to be called the "Vegas Golden Knights". Locals like to refer to their city using this shortened form, so dropping "Las" creates a greater sense of identity.

In November 2016, steel grey, gold, black and red were chosen as the colours, along with a knightly logo. The concept was in place; all that remained were a few formalities, the final payment to the NHL and, most importantly, the players. The first ice hockey professional permitted to call himself a "Golden Knight" was Canadian Reid Duke, whom Las Vegas recruited from junior hockey.

He was followed by Vadim Shipachyov and Tomáš Hyka, as well as the Expansion Draft, which brought in further outstanding players such as James Neal and Marc-André Fleury. A lively flow of transfers from other teams in the league began, Gerard Gallant was appointed head coach and partnerships with farm teams were announced. Then came the spectacular start!

Las Vegas gripped by ice hockey fever: a strong desert wind is blowing

In its very first season, the brand-new team unexpectedly established itself as one of the NHL's best, set numerous records for an expansion team and reached the Stanley Cup Final via the play-offs. There, however, the Desert Knights lost to the Washington Capitals.

No provider of sports betting and live betting in ice hockey would have predicted such a development! Nowadays, these companies know that the Vegas Golden Knights have been among the NHL's best teams from the very beginning and have excellent prospects of success in the future as well. This is reflected in today's odds, which repeatedly award the Knights top placings.

The media speculated for a long time about how this miracle in the desert had been possible, eventually identifying the reasons for the rapid and lasting success. The focus is primarily on the current Expansion Draft regulations, which give established teams very limited options to protect their players from leaving. The Golden Knights had a large, high-quality selection, with only a few players unavailable.

High-quality players from other teams led to success

There were also obvious planning errors by the other teams, which in some cases released very good team members in order to retain other players. In the process, the Florida Panthers lost not only Canadian exceptional talent Jonathan Marchessault, but also gifted right winger Reilly Smith.

Both players were immediately given attacking roles in Vegas and racked up points in abundance. They were two tough nuts for tournament opponents to crack. Other capable athletes were added, whose qualities had evidently not been valued highly enough by their previous teams. This included William Karlsson, for example, who tripled his personal bests and recorded 78 points and 43 goals in his very first season.

Some other players did not make quite such a spectacular start, but they too improved their performances once they arrived in Nevada. Their potential did not appear to have been fully utilised by their previous teams, and perhaps had not even been recognised. These ‘lesser-known’ luminaries include Erik Haula, Nate Schmidt and Colin Miller, as well as David Perron and Shea Theodore. A total of 13 of the 22 new team members set career highs within 30 games with the Knights. Perhaps, one might speculate, the special atmosphere of this glamorous metropolis also suits them – who knows?

Other factors: influence from above and strong team spirit

However, the players alone are not ‘to blame’ when a team produces top performances. The influence from above, including the smart recruitment by General Manager George McPhee, has certainly also played its part in the success. Head coach Gerard Gallant, who moved from Florida to Nevada, also helped by not only selecting the squad but drilling it to play at pace and aggressively.

He moulded the motley crew into a formidable team that sticks together and strives for victory together. Although the team undoubtedly boasts outstanding personalities and talents, there is said to be no single star among them; instead, everyone contributes to the bigger picture in their own way. Team spirit is the name given to the ethos that has already blessed many teams built along these lines.

Overall, the Vegas Golden Knights have become a symbol of close-knit unity: the residents appreciate their ice hockey team accordingly, stand behind it and give it their backing. They are probably particularly proud simply to have produced such a team at all, as this is anything but a given under the hot desert sun.

The Las Vegas Knights now also have their first permanent team captain, having made do with several equally ranked ‘assistant captains’ for a few years. Since January 2021, Mark Stone has been able to take on the leading role. The experienced player joined the desert knights in February 2019, after serving the Ottawa Senators successfully for almost eight years. In 2016, he even won World Championship gold with the Canadian national team. He is regarded as a genuine power forward, a player with tremendous strength.

Ice hockey metropolis Las Vegas? Much more than that!

All signs point to the NHL team establishing itself as a successful side for the long term: who would have thought that in 2015, when the doubters still held the upper hand? But Las Vegas has always been good for surprises, and its location in the middle of the Mojave Desert is something special in itself.

Around 150 years ago, there was no more than a solitary fort and a few water sources there. What has developed from it seems incredible from the perspective of that time: in 2021, we are dealing with a city of 650.000 inhabitants that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world every year. Gambling is, as is well known, permitted in the state of Nevada, and the local casinos have evolved over the years into dazzling establishments that transport their guests into another dimension.

There are also countless magnificent shows featuring stars and starlets, found nowhere else in such concentration. At the same time, the city is currently developing into a haven of family entertainment, with its former seedy image fading ever further into the background. Circus performances, spectacular rides, sweet shops, museums and a wide range of other attractions give the city a fresh face beyond poker and roulette. Not to be forgotten is the already mentioned T-Mobile-Arena as a venue for sporting events and concerts. It is here that the Vegas Golden Knights found a home and honour – and Nevada’s sports fans a new favourite team.