The World Series begins tonight, the NBA just tipped off, college and pro football are in the thick of their seasons, and still the Vegas Golden Knights are in nightly headlines across the country.
I think it’s outstanding for our organization. That’s what it’s all about. We’re being mentioned for the right reasons. We’re winning hockey games, we’re playing well. The group is really taking off right now. -Gerard Gallant
Like us, I’m sure most Vegas fans have gotten calls and texts from out of town friends and family, praising the Golden Knights blazing start. Average Americans are hearing about the NHL’s hottest team in the most unusual places. National magazines and newspapers, cable news stations, local TV, and social media are all trending for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Yeah, it’s great. I think we came out here and proved a lot of people wrong. It’s been a lot of fun. -Brayden McNabb
The coaches and players are aware of the national attention, but they’re careful to stay humble from the recent fame.
“You read here and there. You watch the NHL channel… yeah it’s good. We gotta keep it going. -Deryk Engelland
Engelland’s attitude is echoed around the locker room. The players are happy about their (6-1) start but they know an 82-game season has its ebbs and flows. Forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare appreciates the attention but prefers to believe it’s about Las Vegas and not the team.
I think it’s good for the town. After what happened, it’s what the town needed to unite everyone. -Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
All this being said, the Golden Knights claim they aren’t paying much attention to all of the attention.
Personally, not really. Sometimes you see stuff on Twitter, but other than that not really. -McNabb
I got two boys running around, so I don’t really have time to sit down and watch the news too much. -Engelland
Heck, some of the Golden Knights are just like us. Normal people trying to forget about their jobs once they clock out. Even professional hockey players like to leave their work at the office.
No. I think we’re all different. I’m the type of guy that won’t look at all, at anything. When I come off the rink, that’s it. If I’m done for the day, I relax with my family. The last thing I want to think of is hockey. -Bellemare
Imagine that, getting paid millions of dollars to play hockey, and then tuning out 100 MPH pucks to the ankle, slashes to your wrist, and punches to the face. NHL players smile with missing teeth for family portraits, these guys earn every dollar.
pfh64
This is crazy. I’ve worked in high schools for 20+ years, so I know crazy. This is as Sports crazy as you’re going to get. This is not Lake Placid 1980 crazy, because that’s its own level, but this is getting to a level no one, not even the team could have thought possible.
When Mr. Foley plunked down $500M for the team, he had a right to expect the league not to put his team in a situation where it would be expansion Capitals/Mets bad (and honestly that would not have been any good for the league, either). However, no one, and I would bet the team itself, could have had any idea that this team would start the season like this. Every night the Vegas goalie is the best player on the ice. And that includes the THIRD string goalie. Undefeated in OT without the kind of “skill” players that enough teams have that can dominate 3v3 hockey. They have scored enough highlight goals to take advantage of, had good special teams and won at home. Things that winning teams do.
Right now this team reminds me a lot of the 2001-2002 Islanders, who rode a season opening hot streak into its first playoff season in almost a decade that year. Yes, I know that LV didn’t have a team last year, but it was still better than those Islanders teams of most of 90s. Will the Golden Knights be able to do the same? Who knows, but it sure seems like it could be a fun ride. Enjoy it.