One of the few expansion franchises to experience immediate success in North American professional sports, the Golden Knightsqualified for theStanley Cup playoffs in their first four seasons and reached theStanley Cup Final in their first season. Their 13 playoff wins en route to the2018 Stanley Cup Final are the most for a team during their inaugural postseason run.[7] In2023, the club returned to the Stanley Cup Final and won their first Stanley Cup championship, defeating theFlorida Panthers in five games.
Rumors of a Las Vegas expansion team surfaced again in August 2014, pointing to anew indoor arena on the Strip (built as a joint venture betweenAnschutz Entertainment Group, owners of theLos Angeles Kings, andMGM Resorts International) as the potential home arena,[10] although these rumors were denied by the league.[11][12][13] In November 2014, an unconfirmed report stated that the league had selected billionaire businessmanBill Foley and theMaloof family (former owners of theNational Basketball Association'sSacramento Kings, and founders of thePalms Casino Resort) to lead the ownership group for a Las Vegas expansion team.[14][15] In December 2014, the NHL's board of governors decided to allow Foley to hold a season ticket drive to gauge interest in a Las Vegas team, though league commissionerGary Bettman also asked the media not to "make more out of this than it is".[16][17] The season ticket drive began in February 2015, with interested parties placing ten percent deposits for the 2016–17 season.[18] The drive drew 5,000 deposits in its first day and a half, and reached its goal of 10,000 deposits by April 2015.[18][19]
In June 2015, the league officially opened the window for prospective owners to bid on expansion teams.[20] By this point, Foley had secured more than 13,200 season-ticket deposits.[21] Two expansion applications were submitted: Foley's application for a Las Vegas team, and a bid fromQuebecor to revive theQuebec Nordiques at anew arena inQuebec City.[21] Both Las Vegas and Quebec were invited to move into Phase II of the league expansion bid in August 2015, which involved providing additional details about the Las Vegas market to the league.[22] Later in the same month, both bids proceeded to Phase III, which involved a review of ownership financials.[23]
At the league owners' meeting on June 22, 2016, in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas expansion bid was approved by a unanimous vote, with play to begin in the2017–18 NHL season.[24][25] The team became the firstmajor professional sports franchise to bebased in Las Vegas, and the first NHL expansion team since2000.[26] Foley committed to pay the league's $500 million expansion fee[27] and began the process of hiring the team's principal staff and determining its official identity. Foley announced that formerWashington Capitals general managerGeorge McPhee would be the franchise's first general manager.[28] On November 22, 2016, the name was revealed as the Vegas Golden Knights.[29]
Start of operations and the inaugural season (2017–2018)
On March 1, 2017, the team completed its expansion fee payments and filings, making it eligible to formally begin operations such as free agent acquisition, and participation in league meetings.[30] Five days later, the Golden Knights made their first personnel move by signingReid Duke to a three-year entry-level contract.[31][32]
The team's inaugural home game atT-Mobile Arena was played on October 10, 2017, hosting theArizona Coyotes as the second game of a home-and-home series. In the aftermath of theOctober 1 mass shooting, the pre-game ceremonies honored the victims of the attack, and the team issued an appeal for donations to its charitable arm.[40] With their 5–2 win, the Golden Knights increased their unbeaten streak to start the season to 3–0, an NHL record for an expansion team.[41][42][43] The Golden Knights are the first team in NHL history to start their inaugural season winning eight of their first nine games.[44] During their tenth game, goaltenderOscar Dansk was injured becoming the third Golden Knights' goaltender to be injured during the season after losing starters Fleury and the recently acquiredMalcolm Subban, forcing the team to start a fourth goaltender in 11 games withMaxime Lagace.[45]
Fifteen games into the season,Vadim Shipachyov became the first player to retire from the NHL as a Golden Knight when he decided to return to theKontinental Hockey League.[46] In December, the Golden Knights set another NHL expansion team record of six straight wins, a record they previously missed when they lost their tenth game of the season, and established a new NHL record with eight straight wins.[47][48][49] On February 1, 2018, the Golden Knights set the expansion team record for wins in a debut season with 34 wins after only 50 games,[50] and then on February 21, 2018, set a record for most points by an expansion team in the inaugural season with 84.[51] Clinching a berth for the2018 playoffs on March 26, the Golden Knights became the first team since theEdmonton Oilers andHartford Whalers in the1979–80 season to make the playoffs in their inaugural season in the league.[52] On March 31, the Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division title, becoming the first true expansion team in thefour major sports to win its division in its inaugural season (not counting all-expansion divisions, as was the case in the1967–68 season).[53] Vegas' inaugural season was widely considered the most successful of any North American expansion team,[54][55][56] with much attention given to the breakout seasons of their expansion draft selections,[57] dubbed the "Golden Misfits."[58]
On April 11, the franchise won its first playoff game in a1–0 victory over theLos Angeles Kings in the first game of the series.[59] Six days later on April 17, the franchise earned their first playoff series win against the Kings, winning the fourth game by a 1–0 score, which also became their first playoff series sweep. The Golden Knights became the first team in NHL history to sweep their first playoff series in their inaugural season.[60] On May 6, 2018, the Golden Knights defeated theSan Jose Sharks four-games-to-two, becoming the third team in NHL history to win multiple playoff series in their inaugural season, and advanced to the conference finals.[61] On May 20, Vegas defeated theWinnipeg Jets to win the conference finals in five games, becoming the third NHL team to advance to theStanley Cup Final in its inaugural season, after theToronto Arenas in1918 and theSt. Louis Blues in1968.[62] The Golden Knights were defeated in the Stanley Cup Final by theWashington Capitals in five games;[63] despite this loss, the team won 13 postseason games that year, breaking the record for the most wins by an expansion team in their first playoff appearance.[7]
Continued contention and first Stanley Cup championship (2018–present)
In May 2019, Vegas modified their front-office staff, with the promotions ofGeorge McPhee from general manager to president of hockey operations and assistant general managerKelly McCrimmon to general manager.[72] During the remainder of the off-season and2019–20 season, the Golden Knights' roster experienced considerable turnover. In June, original Golden KnightsErik Haula andColin Miller were traded to theCarolina Hurricanes andBuffalo Sabres,[73][74] respectively, with recently signedKHL standoutNikita Gusev also sent to theNew Jersey Devils.[75] The team additionally acquired centerChandler Stephenson from theWashington Capitals in early December 2019.[76] After an up-and-down start resulting in a 24–19–6 record and capped by a four-game losing streak, the team fired head coach Gallant, replacing him with recently fired former Sharks head coachPeter DeBoer on January 15, 2020.[77]
During the following month in the lead-up to the trade deadline, Vegas further acquired defensemanAlec Martinez from theLos Angeles Kings,[78] forwardNick Cousins from Montreal,[79] and goaltenderRobin Lehner from theChicago Blackhawks,[79] as well as trading original Golden KnightsCody Eakin andMalcolm Subban to theWinnipeg Jets and Chicago.[80][79] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the NHL regular season was suspended on March 12, 2020,[81] and officially concluded on May 26;[82] Vegas, holding the 3rd-best points percentage in the Western Conference, automatically qualified for therestructured playoffs, playing in a round-robin to determine the top four seeds in the Western playoff bracket.[82] After sweeping the round-robin round over theDallas Stars,St. Louis Blues, andColorado Avalanche, Vegas earned the first seed,[83] proceeding to defeat Chicago in the first round in five games.[84] In the second round, Vegas defeated theVancouver Canucks in seven games, despite once again having previously led the series 3–1.[85] Their playoff run would end in the conference finals, however, as the Golden Knights lost to Dallas in five games.[86]
Prior to the shortened2020–21 season,Mark Stone was named the firstcaptain in franchise history.[87] Additionally, alternate captain and team leaderDeryk Engelland retired, stepping into a front-office role with the team.[88] The Golden Knights further overhauled the roster in the off-season, notably signing defensemanAlex Pietrangelo to a seven-year contract,[89] as well as tradingPaul Stastny to Winnipeg and original Golden KnightNate Schmidt to Vancouver.[90][91] The shortened schedule saw a temporary realignment where teams only played against their own division in the regular season, with Vegas being placed in a new eight-teamWest Division.[92] The Golden Knights ultimately finished second in both the division and league; despite being tied in points with theColorado Avalanche, the Avalanche had five more regulation wins than Vegas.[93] In first round ofthe playoffs, Vegas was forced to a game seven for the third consecutive year after leading 3–1, but defeated theMinnesota Wild thanks in part to a hat trick from trade-deadline acquisitionMattias Janmark.[94][95]
In the second round, the Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche in six games despite initially going down 2–0;[96] however, Vegas' playoff run would again end one round short of the Stanley Cup Final, as the Golden Knights were then upset by theMontreal Canadiens in six games in the Stanley Cup semifinals.[97] GoaltenderMarc-Andre Fleury was named the winner of theVezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender at season's end, with he and Lehner also sharing aWilliam M. Jennings Trophy win for allowing the fewest goals against of any team.[98]
During the 2022 off-season, Vegas fired head coach DeBoer,[114] replacing him with formerBoston Bruins head coachBruce Cassidy one month later.[115]
Adin Hill (left) andLaurent Brossoit (right) during games against theSeattle Kraken in October 2022 and April 2023, respectively. The two would combine to start all 22 of Vegas' 2023 playoff games, with Brossoit starting the first eight and Hill the final 14, including the entire2023 Stanley Cup Final.
The Golden Knights began the2022–23 season leading the Pacific Division, losing just two games during the month of October, and holding a 17–6–1 record at the end of November.[123] However, the team slowed down afterwards, posting a combined 12–12–3 record through December and January, including a 1–5–2 slump in the eight games prior to theAll-Star break.[124] The Golden Knights recovered after the break, however; despite a variety of injuries sidelining Thompson, Hill, and a returning Brossoit for varying periods,[125] the Golden Knights went on a tear through the final three months of the season, finishing out 22–4–5.[126][127] In addition, the team acquired forwardsIvan Barbashev andTeddy Blueger at the trade deadline for scoring depth,[128][129] as well as longtimeLos Angeles Kings goaltenderJonathan Quick to address the multitude of goaltender injuries.[130] During this period, the Golden Knights also became the first team to win four consecutive games with four different starting goaltenders,[125] as rookieJiri Patera became the fifth goaltender to start for Vegas during the season.[131] After clinching a playoff berth on March 30, 2023,[132] Vegas defeated theSeattle Kraken in their final regular season game on April 13, narrowly beating out theEdmonton Oilers for both the Pacific Division championship and first seed in the Western Conference.[133]
Inthe playoffs, the Golden Knights faced off against theWinnipeg Jets in the first round, in a rematch of the 2018 conference finals; after a 5–1 loss in game 1,[134] the Golden Knights won four straight to win the series in five games.[135] Proceeding to the second round, Vegas defeated the division rival Oilers in six games,[136] despite an injury to Brossoit in game 3 necessitating Hill taking over as goaltender.[137] The conference finals saw a rematch of the2020 series, as the Golden Knights faced theDallas Stars once again; avenging their prior loss, Vegas won the series and their second Western Conference championship in six games,[138] despite Dallas forcing two additional games after Vegas led the series 3–0.[139] The Golden Knights ultimately faced theFlorida Panthers in theStanley Cup Final.[138] Vegas won the Cup Final in five games, including a dominant 9–3 victory in game 5, to win their firstStanley Cup championship,[140] as well as Las Vegas' first championship in any of the "big 4" North American sports leagues.[141]Jonathan Marchessault, who led the team in playoff goals, would win theConn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs.[142] Additionally, the Golden Knights fulfilled the prediction of ownerBill Foley, who had previously stated the franchise's goals were "playoffs in three, cup in six," with the 2022–23 season being the franchise's sixth.[143] The Knights became the youngest team to win the Stanley Cup since the NHL's first major expansion in1967, beating the previous record set by thePhiladelphia Flyers, who won the Cup in1974, their seventh season.[144]
The Golden Knights entered the2023–24 season retaining the majority of their Cup-winning roster,[145] agreeing to extensions with Barbashev,[146] Hill,[147] andBrayden Pachal several weeks after the Stanley Cup Final.[148] However, Blueger, Brossoit, and Quick departed in free agency, while original Golden KnightReilly Smith was traded to thePittsburgh Penguins, ending his six-year tenure with the franchise.[149] For the second consecutive season, Vegas started the season at the top of the Pacific Division, going 11–0–1 over their first twelve games, with no regulation losses in October;[150] their seven-game season-opening win streak set the record for the longest season-opening winning streak of any defending champion, surpassing the record of five previously set by the1985–86 Edmonton Oilers and1920–21 Ottawa Senators.[151]
The team again faltered in the months afterward, though, with another rash of injuries between November and February resulting in the NHL debuts ofLukas Cormier,[152]Mason Morelli,[153] and2020 first-round pickBrendan Brisson.[154][155] January also saw the Golden Knights compete in the2024 Winter Classic onNew Year's Day, facing off against Seattle atT-Mobile Park in their second outdoor game; Vegas ultimately lost 3–0, becoming the first team to be shut out in the Winter Classic.[156] Business changes also occurred mid-season, as theMaloof family sold the bulk of their shares to majority owner Foley in early January, with onlyAdrienne Maloof maintaining a minority stake.[6] After a short winning period in late January that featured Hill's return from a two-month injury,[157][158] as well as Pachal's loss to theCalgary Flames on waivers,[159] the team celebrated its first1,000th-game ceremony on February 12, 2024, as defensemanAlex Pietrangelo played his 1,000th NHL game.[160] However, the team slumped heavily after theAll-Star break, recording a 2–8–1 record between February 12 and March 7,[161] endangering their playoff chances.[162] In an attempt to bolster the roster, the Golden Knights acquiredNoah Hanifin,[163]Tomas Hertl,[164] andAnthony Mantha at the trade deadline,[165] later signing Hanifin to an eight-year extension to begin the following season;[166] this was followed by a 6–0–1 surge through late March,[167] culminating in the Golden Knights clinching a playoff berth on April 12.[168] As the secondwild card, Vegas again faced off against theCentral Division champion Dallas Stars in a rematch of the past year's conference finals; despite winning the first two games of the series, the Golden Knights would ultimately lose the series in seven games, ending their title defense in the first round.[169]
Team identity
Logos, colors, and uniforms
The team's secondary logo
The team's primary logo is abarbute helmet, superimposed on a black and gold shield, with a V-shaped opening.[170][171] The secondary logo is two crossing swords behind a red star, designed to resemble the star found on the landmarkWelcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign.[171]
The team's primary color issteel gray, which is said to represent "strength and durability".[1][171] The other team colors aregold,red (found in the Las Vegas skyline and atRed Rock Canyon), andblack (for "power and intensity").[1][172]
The first uniforms in Golden Knights team history were unveiled publicly on June 20, 2017. Home uniforms are steel gray with black, gold and red stripes, while road uniforms are white with steel gray, gold and red stripes. Shoulders feature the alternate swords logo.[173] On October 2, 2020, the Golden Knights introduced a gold alternate uniform, essentially a palette swap of the road uniforms with gold and white switching places.[174] On February 11, 2021, the Golden Knights debuted shiny gold helmets as an alternate to their home gray helmets.[175] Starting with the 2022–23 season, the gold uniforms became the primary, while the gray uniforms became the alternate.[176]
The Golden Knights also released a special "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform. Because the Golden Knights did not have a long NHL history to draw from, their retro design was inspired in part byManon Rhéaume, the first female NHL player, who played for the now-defunctInternational Hockey League'sLas Vegas Thunder. The uniform employs a red base and features the "crossing swords" logo in front.[177] Their second "Reverse Retro" uniform was a faux-back design from 1995, featuring a black base and a diagonal "VEGAS" wordmark inspired by various vintage hotels in the strip. The wordmark also has a glow-in-the-dark feature when shown in a dark background.[178]
For the2024 Winter Classic, the Golden Knights wore faux-back 1917 vintage white uniforms with heritage gold stripes, gray pants and helmets. The crest is a stylized gray "V" with petal accents and gold trim.[179] Prior to its official unveiling on November 22, 2023, the uniform was accidentally leaked to the public four days earlier during anAll Elite Wrestling event, with AEW hostRenee Paquette wearing the uniform during theFull Gear pay-per-view.[180]
Name
The team's name includes "Knights" as a homage to theBlack Knights of theUnited States Military Academy, Foley's alma mater, and becauseknights were, according to Foley, "the epitome of the warrior class".[170][181] Foley had hoped to name his team the Black Knights, but dropped that plan after encountering resistance from federal officials. Foley was unable to call the team the "Vegas Knights" because theLondon Knights owned the "Knights" name in Canada.[181][182][183]
"Golden" was included in the name becausegold is, as Foley stated, the "No. 1 precious metal", and because Nevada is thelargest gold-producing state in the country.[171][181] "Las" was omitted from the team's name because, according to Foley, residents tend to refer to the city simply as "Vegas", and because a four-word name would have been too long.[171][2]
The Golden Knights'mascot is aGila monster named Chance. He was unveiled at the team's second home game on October 13, 2017.[188][189] The team opted against using a knight for a mascot because it found that knight mascots used by other teams were not very child-friendly.[190] However, the team's pre-game show often includes a skating knight.[191]
The Golden Knights' designated television market includes Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Arizona, and formerly included Utah and Wyoming. In May 2023, amid plans byWarner Bros. Discovery to exit the RSN business, the Golden Knights announced an agreement with theE.W. Scripps Company and its newly established Scripps Sports division, under a multi-year deal beginning in the2023–24 NHL season. Scripps'Laughlin stationKMCC will serve asflagship station of the Golden Knights' television network. KMCC is a sister station to Las Vegas ABC affiliateKTNV-TV, which may also air selected Golden Knights games by virtue of the NHL's broadcast television rights withABC, and has previously aired simulcasts of Golden Knights preseason games with ATTSN.[192][193] The Golden Knights also launched an in-market streaming service,KnightTime+, to carry the games. The service costs $69.99 a season or $6.99 a game.[194]
Outside of Las Vegas, the Golden Knights' regional television network includes other Scripps stations, outside one station in Reno;[194]
From its inaugural season through 2022–23,AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (ATTSN) was the regional television rightsholder for all Golden Knights games not broadcast exclusively by the NHL's national television partners.[198][199][200] Golden Knights games on KMCC, and formerly on ATTSN, are called by formerBoston Bruins radio announcerDave Goucher onplay-by-play,Shane Hnidy, who previously worked color for theWinnipeg Jets onTSN, and Ashali Vise, who is the rinkside reporter.[201]
One game a week is also aired onKENO 1460, a Spanish-language sports radio station, making the team one of only three in the NHL to offer Spanish-language broadcasts.[204]
Minor league affiliates
On May 16, 2017, the Golden Knights entered a multi-year affiliation agreement with aminor league team, theChicago Wolves of theAmerican Hockey League. Like most NHL–AHL affiliation arrangements, the Golden Knights were able to transfer players to and from the Wolves.[34] Although the Wolves were the Golden Knights affiliate, the two teams do not share the same ownership. In addition to the Wolves, the Golden Knights were affiliated with theQuad City Mallards of theECHL for the2017–18 season,[35] however, the Mallards ceased operations after the one season.[205]
On August 21, 2018, the Golden Knights entered a one-year affiliation agreement with theFort Wayne Komets of the ECHL for the2018–19 season.[206]
On February 6, 2020,Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced the sale of theSan Antonio Rampage franchise to the Golden Knights organization. It was later announced on February 28, that the Rampage franchise was approved to relocate to the Henderson/Las Vegas area by the AHL. On May 28, the name of the relocated franchise was revealed to be theHenderson Silver Knights, mimicking the logo style and aura of their parent club. The shield-shaped logo features a silver-coloredDestrier, with eyes that are the same color gold used in the logo for the Golden Knights.[207] The Silver Knights began play in the 2020–21 season atOrleans Arena, whileDollar Loan Center was under construction.[208]
On May 19, 2022, the Golden Knights announced a one-year affiliation agreement with the expansionSavannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL, through the2022–23 season.[209]
On July 16, 2024, the Golden Knights announced a multi-year affiliation agreement with the expansionTahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL, resulting in Nevada hosting both of the franchise's minor-league affiliates.[210][211]
Season-by-season record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Golden Knights. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Vegas Golden Knights seasons.
GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
The team is also not able to issue the jersey number 99 to any of its players as it was retired league-wide in honor ofWayne Gretzky at the2000 NHL All-Star Game.[219]
^abc"Introducing the Vegas Golden Knights".VegasGoldenKnights.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. November 22, 2016.Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. RetrievedNovember 23, 2016.The team's colors – steel grey, gold, red and black – reflect the community and the focus of the team:...
^Dubow, Josh (May 7, 2018)."Vegas Golden Knights cash Round 3 ticket".Toronto Star.Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. RetrievedMay 7, 2018.Vegas become just the third team in NHL history to win multiple series in its first season.
^Emerson, Justin (December 22, 2020)."Golden Knights leader Deryk Engelland retires from hockey".Las Vegas Sun.Las Vegas Sun. RetrievedJune 23, 2023.One of the original Golden Knights, the unofficial captain of the team's miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final and a Las Vegas local has called it a career.
^Gotz, Ben (June 17, 2023)."Family affair: Knights celebrate Cup with kids, parents, loved ones". Las Vegas Review-Journal. RetrievedJune 28, 2023.The fathers' trip after the All-Star break was one of the turning points of the season. The Knights' 2-0 swing to Minnesota and Nashville kicked off a 22-4-5 closing stretch that earned the team the top seed in the Western Conference.
^Granger, Jesse (May 13, 2024)."Golden Knights offseason roster primer: Who stays, who goes?".The Athletic. RetrievedMay 13, 2024.Following their Stanley Cup win, the team had only a few contracts expire, which meant almost no roster turnover before the 2023-24 season... Vegas essentially ran it back with the same team.
^Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (November 22, 2016)."No more worries, for now, for Vegas Golden Knights".VegasGoldenKnights.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. RetrievedJuly 1, 2024.On the video screen behind him was the logo, a helmet with an opening in the shape of a 'V' for Vegas, and the colors: steel gray for strength and durability; gold for the precious metal found in Nevada; red for the Vegas skyline, desert and canyons, also symbolic of the readiness to serve; and black for power and intensity, according to the team.
2025–26 Vegas Golden Knights season
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