Page 63 - LVG&L 2018 WINTER

officially voted to grant Foley and Las Vegas a
franchise. It was the day Las Vegas truly became
a major league city. Off the ice, the Knights have
embraced the community, especially following the
events of One October, when 58 people were killed
and more than 500 injured in a shooting at the
Route 91 Harvest Festival across from Mandalay
Bay.
Prior to the Knights’ first home game on Octo-
ber 10, Foley and his management team made the
decision to completely alter the pregame ceremony
from a celebration of the new team to a ceremony
remembering the victims, while honoring the first
responders who acted so heroically.
“I thought it worked out great,” Foley told
the media following the ceremony. “It was very
solemn, it was very moving, and it accomplished
what we were trying to accomplish. I thought it
was good for the town. I thought our guys did a
terrific job. We were trying to thank the town and
bring the town together and show Vegas that we’re
really part of the community.”
From top to bottom, the organization is all-in
when it comes to Las Vegas.
“We are embracing the opportunity of being
the first major professional sports franchise in Las
Vegas, and the support from the local community
has been tremendous,” Golden Knights presi-
dent Kerry Bubolz said. “We know people will be
watching to see how we do. We are excited about
that. Las Vegas is already the entertainment capital
of the world, and we hope to elevate that with our
brand and help make it the sports and entertain-
ment capital of the world. There is a tremendous
foundation of major sports already here in Las
Vegas including two NASCAR races, the UFC,
college sports, boxing and the NFL now coming
here in a couple years. When you add it up, there
is more major sports programming here than most
major markets.”
Whether the team was winning or losing, the
Golden Knights most likely would have earned a
solid following from their new fans, but the hot
start surely has increased the energy and passion
of both the players and the fan base. Now the
question being asked around Las Vegas is, “Can
the early on-ice success last?”
“The belief prior to the expansion draft was that
Vegas would acquire a solid defense, but finding
consistent offense would be the main concern,”
Sportsbook Radio and Vegas Hockey Hotline host
Brian Blessing said. “When the team was an-
nounced, the pleasant surprise was the amount of
offensive talent [general manager] George McPhee
was able to get his hands on and they have pro-

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