Max #61 of the Vegas Golden Knights after winning the NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 13, 2023 Celebrate with the Stanley Cup.
Jeff Speer | Icon Sportswire | Getty Images
The Stanley Cup belongs to Sin City.
The Vegas Golden Knights are in their sixth season in the NHL, won the league championship Tuesday night, completed a 4-1 series win over Cinderella’s Florida Panthers.
Las Vegas’ meteoric rise to the pinnacle of hockey has surprised the sports world, but that’s exactly what owner Bill Foley intended when he plowed into a $500 million expansion in 2016.
That’s a remarkable achievement for an expansion team in any sport, but it’s especially true for a hockey team in a desert city that, until recently, was the desert of professional team sports.
Now, who’s who in Las Vegas are fans of the Golden Knights.
“I went to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final and T-Mobile Arena was absolutely electric,” Bill Hornbuckle, CEO of MGM Resources, told CNBC on Wednesday.
On Golden Knights game days, the MGM hotels surrounding the T-Mobile Arena, where the team plays, are packed with customers. That’s what former MGM CEO Jim Murren envisioned in 2017, when he described his efforts to turn Sin City into Sports City.
It’s not just hockey either. Vegas’ success in the NHL also highlights the city’s rapid growth into a major player in the sport.
Murren won the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, which MGM owned at the time and later sold in 2021 to Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
Clearly, Davis has embraced the notion of Las Vegas as a sports destination. In 2020, he moved his storied football franchise, long a staple in California, to the city. The team’s Allegiant Stadium will host the Super Bowl for the first time in Las Vegas next year.
golden charm
The Golden Knights have been contenders since their first season. They quickly gained a cult fan base while making their way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, only to lose to the Washington Capitals. From then to winning this year, the Golden Knights have reached the conference finals twice and missed the playoffs only once.
The team often sells home games, attracting locals and tourists alike. The city dons black and gold during hockey season. MGM Resorts Don a Golden Knights jersey at the Statue of Liberty replica outside New York City, New York.
The community spirit that surrounds NHL teams can be felt throughout the city’s sports scene.
“This is an exciting time for our city as we solidify our position as one of the world’s top sports and entertainment destinations,” Hoback said.
Las Vegas native Sandra Douglas Morgan is now the president of the Raiders. She told CNBC in a recent interview that her hometown is poised to capture the imagination of sports fans everywhere, with entertainment, dining, shopping and, of course, gambling options.
“We’re going to make sure we continue to deliver these life-changing experiences to Las Vegas and our 40 million visitors from around the world,” she said.
Casinos in Las Vegas are also taking advantage of Formula 1’s first race scheduled for November in the city. For example, Wynn offers five-star weekend packages priced at $1 million.
While Las Vegas lost to an MLS expansion team this year, an MLB team looks to be on its way.
The Oakland A’s have signed multiple agreements to relocate the team to Las Vegas.nevada state senate this week approved a bill Raised $380 million in public funding for a professional baseball stadium. The bill now goes to the state legislature.
Rumors and hopes have persisted over the years regarding the potential of an expansion team in the National Basketball Association, but no solid evidence has surfaced.
For now, though, Las Vegas has an unwavering obsession with the Golden Knights, a pride that compels locals to brave the dreaded Strip tourists and traffic to support their team.
Now the Cavaliers are the kings of hockey.