City National Arena Archives

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

A few weeks back we wrote how Las Vegas was not an ideal location to host eight NHL teams at once. Our main argument against a Vegas hub was the lack of quality sheets of ice.

The city of Las Vegas currently only has three sheets of ice that meet NHL standards; one at T-Mobile and two at City National Arena. A year from now there will be two more at Lifeguard Arena in Henderson, then in a few years another one at the AHL rink in Henderson, but as for now, you can’t reasonably make NHL teams vying for a playoff spot, practice at the Ice Center or Sobe Arena. Not to mention, with everyone housed on the Strip, transporting players and equipment for SEVEN teams back and forth the 17 miles to Summerlin, only to be crammed into City National Arena simply isn’t logical. -SinBin.vegas, 4/24/20

With word that the NHL is pushing a 24-team postseason format, a pod city would hold not eight, but 12 teams. Yesterday, NHL analyst Pierre McGuire jumped on TSN Montreal to pitch Las Vegas as the perfect location. The league is considering two pod cities that would hold three, possibly four NHL games per day. Southern Nevada continues to be high on the list for obvious reasons. Hotel rooms, first-class amenities, and easy access to the T-Mobile Arena and other venues. However, the lack of practice ice is greatly overlooked.

Because they got significant ice availability starting with obviously the MGM arena. They got their arena where they practice. They’ve got the Thomas & Mack Center. They’re building an arena for an American Hockey League team that might already be completed in Henderson.-Pierre McGuire, NBC Sports Analyst

The Henderson facility (Lifeguard Arena) is projected to be finished this fall. Could the league help expedite the project? Sure, but there have been no indications that’s the case. Which leaves the Thomas & Mack Center, MGM Grand Garden Arena, T-Mobile Arena, and the City National Arena to cram in practice and morning skates for 12 teams.

Two sheets of ice at the CNA could comfortably serve four NHL clubs, one being the Golden Knights. After that, it’s up in the air. T-Mobile Arena would be available for teams when actual games weren’t being played, but is that viable? Will the Thomas & Mack and Grand Garden Arena have enough time to refreeze their surfaces and make them NHL quality?

More than enough hotel space. They’ve got more than enough ice availability. They’ve got more than enough convention area for dressing rooms if they need them. They’ve got perfect infrastructure to host this.-McGuire

Could Las Vegas Host Several Playoff Series At Once?

By Jason Pothier

On April 24, 2020

(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Picture this, Mayor Goodman gets her wish to open casinos prematurely but only certain groups of people are allowed in. A block of rooms would be booked, and only the high-limit tables would be open. Call it a soft opening. Those guests, or tenants, would be NHL players.

TSN’s Frank Seravalli proposed four NHL cities that are well suited to host postseason series. Dallas, Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Toronto were the locations suggested. His criteria were logical and based on areas that would be safe and accessible.

The plan could include regular-season play, a traditional 16-team playoff, or even an “expanded” playoff.
Teams might be grouped by division, but not necessarily, Bettman said. Sources indicated that the NHL could have teams playing at sites outside of their usual geographic area, such as two groups of eight teams at two sites in the West – circumstances that would be dictated by which localities have eased restrictions.
“We’re just constantly trying to figure out what our alternatives will be,” Bettman said.
Bettman’s stated requirements for host sites are:
– “The location could be anywhere besides a [COVID-19] hot spot.”
– “We need a lot of ice. There does need to be practice facilities.”
– “We need four NHL-calibre locker rooms. Because if you’re going to play three games in one day, you’ve got to be moving things around, and you’ve got to make sure that we’re taking the proper sanitizing procedures.”
Sources indicate the league is keeping a running list of up to 10 NHL cities that could suitably host in the event of a centralized restart.- Frank Seravalli, TSN

At first glance Las Vegas seems to be a perfect location to host multiple series. Thanks to the shutdown and social-distancing, Southern Nevada is not a hot spot for Covid-19, which is cardinal rule #1 for Commissioner Bettman. T-Mobile Arena has many rooms that can convert into NHL-Caliber lockerrooms. Army, Cornell, Providence, and Ohio State all fit comfortably during the Fortress Invitational even with an NHL game taking place on the same day.

But, there’s one massive reason why Las Vegas can’t be one of the initial four hosts when if the league does indeed use this plan. That reason is a shortage of ice.

The city of Las Vegas currently only has three sheets of ice that meet NHL standards; one at T-Mobile and two at City National Arena. A year from now there will be two more at Lifeguard Arena in Henderson, then in a few years another one at the AHL rink in Henderson, but as for now, you can’t reasonably make NHL teams vying for a playoff spot practice at the Ice Center or Sobe Arena. Not to mention, with everyone housed on the Strip, transporting players and equipment for SEVEN teams back and forth the 17 miles to Summerlin, only to be crammed into City National Arena simply isn’t logical.

Las Vegas is just not suitable for eight teams. So scrap that idea.

The Arsenal Team Store At City National Arena Opens

On September 18, 2017

In Fans

The Arsenal, team store inside of City National Arena, is open for business and it is jammed with tons of new apparel.

In addition to the Golden Knights gear, the store is stocked up with hockey equipment from sticks to skates to gloves to helmets to anything else you could possibly need to dominate your beer league.

Oh yeah, and just like at T-Mobile Arena’s Armory, I bought the first thing in store history.

City National Arena/Practice Facility Update – August 2nd, 2017

On August 2, 2017

City National Arena, the home of the Golden Knights practice rink and organizational offices is set to open later this month. Today, media were invited inside to take a look as the NHL rink begins the process of being flooded.

Remember when this was a patch of desert across from Downtown Summerlin? Now it's a hockey rink. #VivaVGK pic.twitter.com/GkAGyBJA9r
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) August 2, 2017

View this post on Instagram
Defensive draw view of the new VGK practice facility.
A post shared by SinBin.vegas (@sinbinvegas) on Aug 2, 2017 at 2:26pm PDT

Here are a few more from the almost completed @CityNatlArena. pic.twitter.com/kSuNwuroqg
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) August 2, 2017

View this post on Instagram
The local boy Deryk Engelland is in the house… or practice facility.
A post shared by SinBin.vegas (@sinbinvegas) on Aug 2, 2017 at 2:28pm PDT

The very first moment they began flooding the Golden Knights practice facility NHL sheet of ice. #History pic.twitter.com/N9HDdmOLnp
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) August 2, 2017

Practice Facility To Be Named City National Arena

On July 18, 2017

UPDATE: The Golden Knights made this official at 9:19 AM on Monday, July 24th.

NEWS: We're proud to officially announce that our practice facility will be named City National Arena.
More: https://t.co/X9t6AXVdCK pic.twitter.com/rQUAbcQnCU
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 24, 2017

We are thrilled to partner with City National Bank on this endeavor, as City National shares in our vision of growing the sport of hockey in Southern Nevada and has a strong commitment to the community. City National Arena will provide best-in-class amenities and programs for all skill levels and experience, regardless of age or gender. We look forward to officially opening our doors later this summer. –The Creator

ORIGINAL STORY (from 7/18/17) – We already knew the Vegas Golden Knights would be playing their home games at T-Mobile Arena, we now know the name of the $25 million building in Downtown Summerlin where they will be practicing.

SinBin.vegas has learned the Golden Knights practice facility is set to be renamed City National Arena in the near future.

A post on social media appeared today confirming the new title sponsor.

City National is a bank with four locations in the valley. Their headquarters are in Los Angeles and are a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada.

City National Arena in Downtown Summerlin is set to open in late August and will be the home of the first Golden Knights training camp. There will be two full size sheets of ice, the entire Golden Knights staff offices, a workout center, and a second story restaurant overlooking the rinks.

The Golden Knights would not confirm the name.

Drone Footage Of Practice Facility

On March 24, 2017

The Practice Facility in Downtown Summerlin is continuing it’s almost ridiculous pace and now appears as if it might actually be operational ahead of schedule.

Friend of the site and Las Vegas sports broadcasting legend Ron Futrell and his team at Avisight sent the drone up over the facility and came back with some pretty sweet images.

If you missed my exclusive (at the time) (now they seem to be letting all the other media folks in, another in the long line of people copying us months later and then saying on TV they were first, so then people actually think they were first, which they weren’t, obviously. Sorry. It bugs me.) tour of the practice facility, it’s here.

This is the first we’ve seen it with the final roofing structure beginning to take shape. The plan still is to have the place open, at least a portion of it, in mid August in time for the rookie training camp.

I’d expect it to be skate-able for the public in October or so, and the restaurant will likely be my go-to spot for pizza and Foley Pinot Noir in early 2017.

Practice Facility Tour Pictures

On February 24, 2017

The Vegas Golden Knights Practice Facility in Downtown Summerlin just across from Red Rock Casino is set to open in the middle of August. Senior VP and facility project manager Murray Craven took me through the site on February 23rd. Here are all of the pictures.

First Floor Blueprint (click the images below to zoom in)

Second Floor Blueprint (click the images below to zoom in)

Finished product drawing

Team entrance, looking into players lounge

Practice Facility Construction Pictures – January 31, 2016

On January 31, 2017

The only enemy of the Golden Knights is time. They have 136 days to prepare for the Expansion Draft, 142 to the Entry Draft, and something like 250 days from Opening Night.

But there’s one clock that feels like it’s ticking just a bit faster than the rest. It’s the one in Downtown Summerlin where the practice facility, and the eventual home of just about everything but games, is being built in a hurry. The facility broke ground in October with a drop dead opening date of late August to be ready for the team’s first training camp.

I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical about the speed in which they planned to put up what’s going to be an absolutely gorgeous 120,000 square foot hockey wonderland. But after my trip out there yesterday, I’m convinced Murray Craven and his round the clock construction team will have this baby up in no time.

Practice Facility Construction Pictures – December 20th, 2016

On December 20, 2016