November 22nd, 2016 will go down in the history books forever. Tonight an organization that was considered to be a pipe dream or a joke of a thought by many will get it’s name, and in turn, it’s identity. I know it’s just a name, but it’s a name that will find it’s rightful place in the history books of one of the most colorful cities in the world, Las Vegas.
Every once in a while we get sentimental about these things, and this is one of those moments. Here is exactly what tonight means to us.
Jason Pothier – Five years ago, I couldn’t believe the lack of hockey interest in this town. I thought I had hit the jackpot when I realized I could watch two NHL teams. The Ducks and Kings helped me get over any East Coast homesickness. I’d try and talk hockey to anyone I bumped into. It took a guy named TBone, and a guy named Ken to listen. After that it was on for Ken and I. We squeezed in hockey talk during our two-hour football show weekly. We covered the preliminary NHL press conferences. We believed when others thought we were wasting our time. Our hard work was a pipe dream to most. Today that pipe dream is real.
Driving to LA, Anaheim, or Phoenix is no longer necessary. When I introduce my 8-month-old son to hockey I’ll only drive 20 minutes down Trop. It may have taken a while, but the wait was worth every failed attempt before. We’ve been called annoying, we’ve been told we’re uninformed and undeserving. However, none of that noise matters now. Call us what you want but call us Knight fans first.
Ken Boehlke – For me tonight is not about hockey, it’s about Las Vegas. One of the fastest growing cities in the world and the only place I’ve ever been truly proud to call my home. However, Las Vegas has had a gaping hole for a long time, the lack of a major professional sports team. No matter who you are, or how long you’ve known me, you know my passion for sports. So when my wife and I moved out here many questioned how I’d survive in a place that lacks the thing I love most. On June 22nd that changed, but tonight it really changes. I’ve always been a fan of Las Vegas, the city. I’m a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bulls, and the Missouri Tigers but I’m not a fan of Tampa, FL, Chicago, IL, or Columbia, MO. Finally it’s time I get to love both halves of the team name I root for, and I’m pumped to learn the identity of that second half.
Now it’s your turn. What does tonight mean to you? Post it in the comments, we can’t wait to read em.
Jason
It means that my sons, my hockey buddies, and I can make the 6 hour drive from Salt Lake to enjoy our season tickets!
Dennis Morrissey
As a kid, I remember watching hockey with my Dad. He was a huge Blackhawks fan since he grew up in Chicago going to their games. When the Mighty Ducks were born in 93, I finally had a “home team.” 20 seasons being a seat holder and seeing the Cup raised by my fave player Teemu Selanne was a thrill. I love passing that same passion to my kids and cannot wait for them to grow up with their own “home” team. Never thought this day would come and never thought I would cheer for any team other than the Ducks. Whatever the name or logo, my family and I are in it 100%.
Chad
As Ken said above, I love the city of Las Vegas and although I don’t live there, I visit a few times a year. I live in Niagara Falls Canada and my favourite teams since I was a kid are the Bruins, White Sox, and 49ers. The Vegas Knights will be my home team. I’ve loved following the creation of this team. I’ve enjoyed watching a parking lot turn into a dirt pile, turn into a state of the art arena over my visits. I can’t wait to for the expansion draft. I can’t wait to get my hands on a jersey and I can’t wait to see a game in Vegas.
Keith Case
Growing up in Reno, I’ve seen a lot minor league teams come and go. The one that stuck out the most was our hockey team. Something about this sport made me fall in love instantly. After the team was no more my passion for it went away and I moved on to other teenage stuff. The last few years I was lucky enough to make friends with people I now consider family. They just so happen to love hockey more than I did at the time. Everyone has a team they love and I didn’t. Growing up I always liked the kings but wasn’t has involved like I am now. So I claimed myself a kings fan (and they won’t let me live it down). Once I heard LV was getting a team I jumped all over that idea. That idea of having a team I can truly call my own. I’m a born and raised Nevadan and I feel that I have to make this choice. Does this make me a bandwagoner? Am I jumping ship? Yes, and I’m ok with that. Kings will always have a place in my heart and home, but tonight I can finally have my own team amongst my group, no matter what the future holds for the team. And we all agree that we love Vegas amd can’t wait to go out of our way to get there and watch my team vs theirs.
Dave Aikman
For as long as I can remember I have been a passionate fan of sports. I bleed Detroit, whether its the Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons or the sad sack Lions, I always had something to keep my passion going. My earliest memories that I have involve the Detroit Tigers winning the 1984 World Series on the exact day of my 6th Birthday, and I was hooked on them.
My love for basketball, and eventually coaching here in town for Desert Oasis High School, came from the Bad Boys Era of the Detroit Pistons. They were the kings of the NBA. They had this attitude that “We are not going to take crap from anyone and we don’t care what you think. I loved it.
Another standout memory is when the Red Wings first showed signs of becoming the machine that have been for the past 30 years in the mid to late 80’s. I was watching a great playoff series between the Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. My dad, who usually stays pretty reserved, and I stayed up to watch an overtime game. Detroit came out on top in overtime, I can’t recall how today, but what I can recall is my dad jumping off the couch and yelling “YES!!!” That was probably the biggest reaction I ever saw from my dad and that has always stood for me. My love and passion for hockey was born that day. During my senior year of high school, after getting the internet for the first time at home (HA), I signed myself up to be on the waiting list for season tickets for the Detroit Red Wings, even with knowing that it would be a long time before I could ever afford to pay for tickets or for my turn to come up on the list.
It wasn’t until my late years attending Central Michigan University that I had the opportunity to attend a Wings game at the Joe. Walking into a building that brought me so much joy over the years was truly emotional. It was one of the best days I ever experienced. I found any way I could to attend as many games as possible.
I graduated from CMU in 2003, with a degree in secondary education with a double major in Geography and Earth Science. The timing couldn’t have been worse for my graduation as the Michigan economy went south. There were very few teaching jobs available throughout the state. There were six positions with one district I would have loved to work for. I was one of 700 to apply. Whatever job I interviewed for I always seemed to come down to me or another person, and I had less connections to those districts. So shall we say I tried to bide my time subbing and working a part time job for a Budweiser Distributor.
In 2006 I finally had enough, an opportunity to teach in Las Vegas came up, I thought long and hard about it. I had never lived anywhere but Michigan before and I swore that I was never going to leave my friends or family. I took it anyway as I doubted any other opportunity would present itself.
So in August of 2006, I packed my things, rented a Uhaul and off I went. Two days into my trip, somewhere in the Texas panhandle I get a call from my dad. “David? Did you sign yourself up for season tickets for the Wings?” “Yeah Dad, ten years ago!” My spot on the waiting list had finally came up, and I was on my way to Las Vegas. I was DEVASTATED!! Finally my dream of being a Red Wings season ticket holder was nigh, and I was moving to the other side of the country. I still have the personalized letter from Ken Holland today.
From the onset of living in Las Vegas I have take every opportunity to be involved in sports as possible. I took the coaching job at the middle school I still currently teach at and have made numerous friends from coaching. I took time off to finish my Masters at UNLV. Right after I finished that, a friend took the varsity job at Cimarron-Memorial High School and he wanted me to coach with him. We both moved to Desert Oasis High School as the job opened up there and he took it as he already taught there.
I have spent thousands of dollars seeing the Red Wings, Tigers, and the sad sack Lions play in Arizona and California. I have a passion for hockey and everyone I know who has questions about the game look to me for answers to their questions. No longer do I necessarily need to travel to see the game that I love.
You will never be able to take the passion that I have for Detroit and my home away from me, but here on out,
GO KNIGHTS!!!
Dave Aikman
I forgot to add, that this also means that I, we, all of us can prove the naysayers wrong when it comes to the fan passion of Las Vegas and grow this game in a potentially huge market.
James
I’ve always wanted to be a fan of a North American sports franchise since day one in the streaming era. Thanks to the internet the coverage is better than ever. Growing up hockey was my least favourite North American sport, but I’ve been all in since the Maloofs sold the Kings to Steve Ballmer and Chris Hansen. I was more interested in the sale of the Kings than my adopted NBA team making a deep playoff run. I thought I would become a Seattle hockey fan, but I quickly turned my attention to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is the dream scenario. There’s something magical about being a fan of the first professional sports team in Las Vegas.
Hawk
Tampa, Chicago & Missouri? Wow, all over he map. Lame. Pick a city you’re from already! Holden Knights?! Fuckin awful! Golden Kinigjts (Silver State) ? Why not just a Vegas Knights?