Although the Vegas Golden Knights did not win the Stanley Cup, we want to give a giant thank you to the team for bringing this city together and giving the entire sporting world an unforgettable and historic inaugural season.
It was about five minutes or so after the Stanley Cup Finals had ended. The arena was quiet, the players had their heads down, and the Washington Capitals continued to celebrate their proudest accomplishment. It may have Brayden McNabb, but some player broke that silence with a stick lift to the fans. His salute was matched with thousands of Golden Knights fans applauding their favorite team.
The entire team joined in and showed their appreciation to their loyal locals. Nate Schmidt and Alex Tuch emotionally hugged on the ice, like brothers, or friends that sit together in Section 214. The Golden Knights and their fanbase had officially shared their first moment of sports heartache.
The season seemed to go by so quickly, and maybe because it was so much fun. The Golden Knights became the best show in the entertainment capital of the world. And it wasn’t close. Fans traveled to Las Vegas to see the NHL’s 31st franchise and Western Conference champions. It was a special ride for fans from all over, but especially for the local ones. It didn’t matter if you were a diehard, casual fan or hockey newcomers, the Golden Knights connected with everyone.
It wasn’t just the fans, the players were enjoying the season so much they extended their magical run for an extra two months. The efforts by Deryk Engelland, James Neal, Brayden McNabb and Jonathan Marchessault were tremendous. The growth of players like William Karlsson, Nate Schmidt, Shea Theodore, and Alex Tuch turning into reliable high minute players was heavily impactful this postseason. And of course Marc-Andre Fleury. Without his performance in the playoffs, the Golden Knights would not have won the Western Conference. The role players, the grinders, the guys we love; Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Cody Eakin, Ryan Reaves, and Tomas Nosek. All four played brilliantly this postseason, proving they are some of the NHL’s best depth players.
Lastly, the coaching staff had an enormous season and postseason. Coach of the year candidate Gerard Gallant came a few games away from winning a championship in his first season. With Gallant at the helm, the Golden Knights will surely be back in the fold in next year’s playoffs.
The play on the ice may have ended, but the season hasn’t ended quite yet. The NHL Draft is coming up later this month, and then free agency begins on July 1st. It’s expected that the Golden Knights will be very active.
It’s always Knight Time in Las Vegas.
Last night, we were able to give away a total of 5 tickets to the game, along with a Zamboni ride during intermission. For all the pictures of our winners, head to our Facebook page.