The NHL’s 31st team now has a name and that name is the Vegas Golden Knights.
Good lord. First of all, and I’m sure I railed against this since the announcement, why is there another hockey team going to the desert? Did the league think, “Hey, look at Phoenix flourishing as a hockey market. We better capitalize on this.” I don’t see how they could have, seeing as Phoenix’s attendance this season is third worst in the league, averaging 13,071 spectators per home game. How does this sound viable to the NHL?
For reference, the highest average attendance is Chicago, with 21,595 fans per home game. Two Canadian teams, Montreal and Toronto, are in the top 5 with 21,000 and 19,000 respectively and the lowest Canadian team, Vancouver, still pulls in 18,000. But by all means, shore up that hockey mad Nevada market. I mean Vegas is already a proven sports haven with professional teams in… absolutely no other major professional sport. Of course the NHL decides to set up shop in Sin City, a place not even within striking distance of an NFL, MLB, or NBA franchise. I mean it makes sense. Columbus has an NHL team. Why not Vegas?
I’m willing to put money on the Death Valley Cobras and the Albuquerque Armadillos joining the league before another Canadian team.
Secondly, there is the name. I understand how they came up with the Golden Knights insomuch as the team is owned by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, LLC, and the Black Knights name stems from founder Bill Foley, who attended West Point, where the nickname for the sports teams is the Black Knights and the Army parachute team is called the Golden Knights.
But still… why?
Apparently a few of the runners-up included Nighthawks, Desert Hawks, Desert Knights, and Sidewinders. The first three are stupid but I could have gotten behind the Las Vegas Sidewinders. It’s original and leans into the fact the team is located in a region not known for snow. I also remember a CSI (the original was set in Vegas) episode with a hockey team called the Rat Pack, which I would also find acceptable over the Golden Knights.
If I had my druthers though, I would go with the Las Vegas Aces. Upon review, there is already an Alaska Aces playing in the ECHL (though why there is an Alaskan team in the East Coast league I’ll never know.) It’s an easy enough fix though, what with the constantly changing allegiances in the minor leagues. Just buy the Alaskan team and have them serve as an affiliate.
NHL commissioner and human wet blanket Gary Bettman said he would veto any name relating to gambling but the Aces should have been in the running. It’s not like Gamblers, or Degenerates, or Pawn Kings was on the table.
In conclusion, NHL, you’ve made me dislike you again. I have a terrible relationship with professional hockey. We’ve fallen in and out of love more times than I can count. I’m not saying I’ll never again believe the hype, but there is going to have to be serious wining and dining before we can ever refer to ourselves an official couple again. In other words, NHL, you can keep your Golden Knights to yourselves for the time being. Call me when you bring another team north of the border.
I’m done now.