GOLDEN! The Story of the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup Season

GOLDEN! GOLDEN!

THE STORY OF THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS’ STANLEY CUP SEASON

Tales of triumph

by Ed Graney

THEY CAME FULL CIRCLE,

these Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights, from the depths of not qualifying for the playoffs one year to its apex the next. From the worst season of the franchise’s six-year existence to its absolute best.

They now sit atop the NHL. What a ride it has been.

It was different this time, and not just because the Knights closed out the Cup with a win against the Florida Panthers in five games of a best-of-seven series. Different from when they lost to the Washington Capitals in the final to conclude that magical and improbable inaugural season of 2017–18. Back then, the narrative centered on tragedy, how a team and a town immediately bonded over a mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. How sadness was mixed with joy, how such a dark moment in a city’s fabric was replaced by the sort of bright light only sports can create.

Las Vegas fell in love with the Knights then. The sentiment grew stronger this season.

But this time was more about change, about a new perspective, new ideas, new

system, new dynamics. It began with the hiring of Bruce Cassidy as coach in June 2022, the former Boston Bruins boss who would arrive with his own strategy on how to build a winner.

He delivered a style of play, a culture, an identity.

“A lot of preparation,” Cassidy said. “Every coach in this league works hard to prepare their team, puts in a lot of time and effort, sacrifice away from your family at times. So, that’s the rewarding part, and then to get your name on the Cup is the ultimate reward. The rewarding part is seeing it all come together at the right time.

“It’s still pretty fresh. It’s pretty cool.”

This was the team, with no apologies, raised by president of hockey operations George McPhee and general manager Kelly McCrimmon. It didn’t happen overnight. It took years in the making, the two willing to move on from some enormously popular names to construct a roster they believed could challenge for the Cup.

They never stopped trying to improve things. To get the absolute best players. And not to just make the final, as in Year One. But to win it.

Mostly, this team had the right

makeup. The right amount of veteran leadership and young talent that combined for what proved to be a championship roster.

Six players had won the Cup — with nine rings in all — before the Knights claimed their own title. Six players who had been there, done that. Those who were needed sounding boards as the Knights maneuvered their way through such a memorable playoff run.

It was unlike the first year, and yet it was in some ways. Nothing defines a better work environment than a selfless room of high-character individuals. The Knights had such then and do now. They have as good a people as they do players. It has always been this way, a mandate from owner Bill Foley.

His point: Before you check someone’s skill or hockey knowledge or what makes his game special, review his character.

And the Knights have. And they have succeeded greatly at it.

They had the right captain in Mark Stone, who exists in a state of deference when praising his teammates. They had a star in center Jack Eichel, whose talent on the ice was a missing piece that helped the Knights scale the most difficult of final hurdles.

They had six of the remaining Misfits from that first season, players who understood better than anyone else the long and winding and successful journey that had its share of speed bumps along the way. They had solid complementary players who executed their roles to perfection.

They had a Conn Smythe Trophy winner in forward Jonathan Marchessault, and a goalie in Adin Hill who produced a near-historic playoff in net.

“We have a dressing room full of Stanley Cup champions now,” McCrimmon said.

Health matters. In not qualifying for the playoffs in 2021–22, the Knights had 500 man games lost to injury. This season’s team didn’t come close to such a number, but had its share of players missing significant time. Stone was out for half the season following a second back surgery.

But when the playoffs commenced, most all were accounted for. The Knights played their best and were at their healthiest when it mattered most. This, a team that won the Pacific Division with 51 victories and 111 points, earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The Knights were big. They were

strong. They were fast.

That first season was about destiny. This was more about pure talent and at times domination.

They would use five goalies during the season and not blink much at all because of the defensive structure Cassidy implemented. They would roll four lines like nobody’s business. They featured the best blue line in hockey. Depth was paramount to their success. It meant everything.

And they would make their owner seem oh-so-prophetic.

It was Foley way back when, before there was an initial roster, a nickname, a color scheme, much of anything, who pronounced what has become a sort of mantra around the organization: “Playoffs in three; Cup in six.”

The Knights easily reached that first goal during the first season and have now secured the second by winning it all.

“Really proud of our players and of George and Kelly,” Foley said. “It’s just starting to sink in … It was the Cup in six, wasn’t it?”

So what now?

McCrimmon said the goal is to build a team that can contend on a sustainable basis. Good news, then, that the core of this championship team will return next

season. It’s beyond significant that so many players are locked up contractually.

It’s also music to a fan base’s ears, one whose support helped define a playoff march that saw the Knights defeat Winnipeg, Edmonton, Dallas and then Florida.

Never faced an elimination game. Not once.

One that saw a record 19,000-plus pack T-Mobile Arena for the clinching Game

5 of the Stanley Cup Final while another 11,000 celebrated outside in the plaza. The stands at City National Arena were again filled for practices. More and more young faces lit up at the sight of their favorite players.

Hockey in the desert? You betcha. It just grows and grows.

And when it was over, when the final seconds of a 9-3 victory ticked away, those on the best team in hockey took turns holding aloft a silver cup that remains the toughest symbol of excellence to win in all of sports.

“It’s still hard to believe,” McPhee said. “The Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. You wake up every day, and it gets a little bit better in the sense that it can never be taken away from you. I’ve heard that expression so many times from so many

people when they win, and it’s the truth. We did it.”

That inaugural year was a great story, a season of firsts, a maiden voyage, all about being Vegas Strong. It ended just short of the ultimate goal.

This time was different. The Golden Knights of 2022–23 came full circle.

They now sit atop the NHL. What a ride it has been, is right.

Here, then, through our words and pictures, is how a local hockey team came to be known as Stanley Cup champions. ◆

ABOVE: Golden Knights fans get pumped up outside T-Mobile Arena before the Knights routed the Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to win the series 4-1. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ON THE COVER:

Copyright © 2023 by Las Vegas Review-Journal, Inc.

All Rights Reserved • ISBN: 978-1-63846-076-3

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner or the publisher.

Published by Pediment Publishing, a division of The Pediment Group, Inc. www.pediment.com. Printed in Canada.

This book is an unofficial account of the Vegas Golden Knights' 2022–23 season and is not endorsed by the NHL or the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights rejoice after their series-clinching 9-3 win over the Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. ABBIE PARR / ASSOCIATED PRESS

PRESENTING SPONSORS

LEFT: A Golden Knights fan celebrates a second-period goal by center Nicolas Roy in the Knights’ 4-0 win over the Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 28, 2022. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Original Misfits learned from first trip to Stanley Cup Final

May 31, 2023 / by Ben Gotz

JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT

said he was “pretty vocal” in the wake of the Golden Knights’ Western Conference championship Monday, which is a bit like water calling itself wet.

But the Knights right wing had a purpose. He was adamant that the team shouldn’t touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl during the trophy presentation at American Airlines Center. The Knights did the first time they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, then lost to the Washington Capitals in five games. Marchessault didn’t want a repeat.

Superstition aside, the action also served as a contrast between the two teams.

The 2018 Knights caught magic, doing things no one thought they could in their inaugural season. This team has dealt with expectations for years. These Knights are no longer just enjoying the ride. They have the end goal in their sights. But some familiar faces remain.

“Our team’s more mature than what we were that first year,” left wing William Carrier said. “This team wants to win, right? We’ll never be finished until we raise that Cup.”

The Knights have six players who serve as the connective tissue of their Western Conference-winning teams.

Carrier, Marchessault, center William Karlsson and left wing Reilly Smith are still around up front. Defensemen Brayden

McNabb and Shea Theodore remain on the back end as the team’s second pair. All are key contributors to the Knights’ success.

Karlsson is a tremendous two-way center who plays in all situations. Marchessault backs up all his talk on the ice as the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer. Smith is one of the best penalty killers in the NHL. Carrier, a longtime bottom-six grinder, traded a few hits for offense this season and scored a career-high 16 goals.

McNabb and Theodore are rock solid as a duo. McNabb is the steady defender who can dish out punishing hip checks along the boards. Theodore is the offensive driver with the smooth stride and slick

OPPOSITE: Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) celebrates his third-period goal with left wing Reilly Smith (19) and right wing Jonathan Marchessault in the Knights’ 4-1 win over the Senators at T-Mobile Arena. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE: Golden Knights

defenseman Brayden McNabb controls the puck during the second period of the Knights’ 6-4 win over the Oilers in Game 1 of a second-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena.

hands to make forwards around the NHL jealous.

This season’s group has still evolved from 2018, when the team went 12-3 through three rounds against Los Angeles, San Jose and Winnipeg. These Knights are more battled scarred. They’re no longer the plucky expansion darlings making an incredible run. They’ve proven to be one

of the NHL’s top dogs, with their 50 playoff wins ranking second to Tampa Bay (61) since they entered the league. The only thing missing is a large silver chalice. The Knights weren’t able to re-create the success of 2018 immediately, losing in the first round to San Jose in 2019 and in semifinal series to Dallas in 2020 and Montreal in 2021. They missed the playoffs

for the first time in franchise history last season.

“That was the goal since Year One,” Marchessault said. “To come back here. Since the beginning of the season, too, we knew we had a good team.”

The only thing the Knights have left to do is go one step further than they did before.

They won Game 1 in 2018 against the Capitals, then lost four straight. Marchessault said the team made the mistake of looking ahead. Of dreaming about what could be. He said that won’t happen when the series against the Florida Panthers starts Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Marchessault said the Panthers remind him in some ways of the 2018 Knights. They’ve defied all expectations, going from the last seed of the playoffs to the Stanley Cup Final. Florida even picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy and carried it around FLA Live Arena after sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Knights have a different mindset. They want to finish the job this time.

“That first year was just kind of a whirlwind,” Karlsson said. “You’ve never been there before. Everything was just kind of flowing. I don’t know, maybe you took it for granted a little bit back then. Now, what is it, it’s five, six years later. There’s been ups and downs, and you realize this opportunity doesn’t come around too often.”

ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE: Golden Knights right wing Jonathan Marchessault exults after scoring during the third period of the Knights’ 3-2 overtime win over the Stars in Game 2 of a second-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE LEFT: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore rejoices after scoring the winning shootout goal in the Knights’ 4-3 victory over the Devils at T-Mobile Arena.

ERIK VERDUZCO / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

LEFT: Golden Knights left wing William Carrier pursues the puck in the first period of the Knights’ 1-0 win over the Blackhawks at T-Mobile Arena. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

THE REGULAR SEASON

Part I Sizzling Start

Part II Mediocre Middle Part III Flourishing Finish

OPPOSITE: Golden Knights players raise their sticks after being introduced before the team’s home opener, a 1-0 win over the Blackhawks on Oct. 13, 2022, at T-Mobile Arena. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Riding wave of momentum, top seed in hand, wild-card Jets next

April 14, 2023 / by Ben Gotz

THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WON

the West with a bounce off a skate, a close-range, short-handed goal from a defenseman and a deflection from 137 feet out.

They didn’t take the conventional route in Thursday’s 3-1 win against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. But almost nothing about this year’s Knights has been ordinary.

Coming off the first playoff miss in franchise history, the team pulled off a miraculous turnaround despite dealing with a litany of key injuries and a carousel in the crease. The Knights’ victory against Seattle earned them their third division title in six seasons and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

They’ll begin the first round of the

playoffs against the wild-card Winnipeg Jets with Games 1 and 2 on Tuesday and Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.

The Knights are rolling heading into the matchup. Their 111 points this year set a new franchise record. Their 51 wins are tied for the most in team history with their inaugural season. They’re on an eightgame point streak (5-0-3) entering the playoffs looking to make owner Bill Foley’s “Cup in six” proclamation come true. “A lot of people counted us out,” left wing Reilly Smith said. “We always believed in this group.”

The Knights’ path back to the playoffs wasn’t easy.

Captain Mark Stone missed the final 39 games of the regular season with his second back surgery in eight months.

The team started a franchise-record five goaltenders after announcing in August that Robin Lehner was out for the year. Other key contributors like left wing William Carrier and defensemen Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud missed significant time.

All that adversity never seemed to matter to this year’s group. The Knights (51-22-9) matched the franchise record for goals in a season despite trading away forwards Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov this summer. Every time a player would go down, someone else would step up and contribute.

Twelve players on the team scored at least 12 goals. The team relied on its depth, chemistry and defensive foundation set by first-year coach Bruce Cassidy to find ways

OPPOSITE: The Golden Knights celebrate after right wing Michael Amadio (22) scored his second goal of the night in the second period of the Knights’ 4-1 win over the Kraken at T-Mobile Arena. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

to win no matter the circumstances.

“We have a bunch of goalies that can get the job done,” goaltender Laurent Brossoit said. “We have a lot of defensemen, four lines that can produce. Even through injuries, we’ve got young guys stepping up and playing well. That’s the sign of a good hockey club and a playoff-style hockey club.”

The Knights trusted their formula again Thursday.

They battled to get the result they needed despite not playing their best and getting hemmed into their own zone for long stretches. Smith scored his 200th goal 9:56 in when Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn bounced a puck off his skate and into the net.

Seattle tied the game 6:24 later on a goal from left wing Jaden Schwartz. The Kraken created numerous chances to take the lead in the second, but it was the Knights who broke through with 7:23 remaining. Defenseman Alec Martinez swiped at a puck 8 feet in front of the net to give his team a 2-1 lead on a delayed penalty. The Knights leaned into their structure from there and played an excellent defensive third period. Center Chandler Stephenson finished the win out by poking a puck from the neutral zone into an empty net with 38 seconds remaining. That set up the Knights’ matchup with the Jets (46-33-3), whom they swept 3-0-0 in this year’s season series. They also beat Winnipeg in five games in the 2018 Western Conference Final.

“Proud of the guys,” Cassidy said. “We’ve won all we could win in terms of the regular season.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Brossoit finishes strong

What little doubt remained was removed Thursday. Brossoit is the Knights’ No. 1 goaltender heading into the playoffs. Cassidy has avoided an official declaration, but the truth is obvious at this point. Brossoit capped off an impressive comeback season by making 31 saves against the Kraken. He had several incredible stops, including one on a Daniel Sprong breakaway in the second period.

His next challenge? Winnipeg, where he backed up 2020 Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck for three seasons before signing with the Knights.

”I’ve got a book on a few of them, so hopefully that helps,” Brossoit said.

2. Key players return

The Knights welcomed back some familiar faces Thursday.

Center Jack Eichel, the team’s leading scorer, played after missing the previous two games with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Shea Theodore also returned after missing seven straight with an undisclosed injury.

“I’m glad they got a game in before Tuesday,” Cassidy said. “I think just getting back into game mode and the pressure of playing with people around you and the physicality is always good.”

3. Martinez’s rare feat

Martinez’s goal was a rare short-handed five-on-five tally.

The delayed penalty led to Brossoit to go to the bench for an extra attacker, giving the Knights five skaters while still being down a man. It was only the second short-handed goal of Martinez’s 14-year career. ◆

ABOVE: Golden Knights left wing Pavel Dorofeyev controls the puck in the first period of the Knights’ 7-2 win over the Blue Jackets at T-Mobile Arena. CHASE STEVENS / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel skates past Blue Jackets goaltender Michael Hutchinson after scoring his third goal of the Knights’ 7-2 win at T-Mobile Arena. CHASE STEVENS / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE LEFT: Golden Knights fans throw hats onto the ice to celebrate center Jack Eichel’s hat trick against the Blue Jackets. He scored two goals in the second period and one in the third. CHASE STEVENS / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

LEFT: A Golden Knights ice crew member picks up hats after center Jack Eichel’s hat trick against the Blue Jackets. CHASE STEVENS / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

PLAYOFFS: MARCH TO THE FINAL

Part I Jettisoning the Jets

Part II Ousting the Oilers

Part III Shooting down the Stars

OPPOSITE: Golden Knights players are introduced at T-Mobile Arena before facing the Oilers in Game 2 of a second-round playoff series. Edmonton won 5-1 to tie the series at one win apiece. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

7 Goals allowed by Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in the first 86:56 of the final. He allowed six in 321:03 during the semifinals.

ABOVE RIGHT: Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy celebrates his second-period goal with left wing William Carrier, left, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and right wing Keegan Kolesar during the Knights’ 7-2 win over the Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. L.E. BASKOW / LAS

RIGHT: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill tangles with Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk during the first period of the Knights’ 7-2 win in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

FLYING HIGH

Knights dominate, move two wins from championship

ABOVE: Stuffed animals and other debris dot the T-Mobile Arena ice after the Golden Knights beat the Panthers 7-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. L.E. BASKOW

/ LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE LEFT: A shot gets past Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill and defenseman Zach Whitecloud for a third-period goal in the Knights’ 7-2 win over the Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. ELLEN

SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

INSIDE Knights move closest to Cup in franchise history behind overwhelming performance

Page 4C Graney: Hill’s agent must be pleased as fans show their love for goaltender

Page 5C Bobrovsky not so scary, plus Panthers pile up penalties

Page 6C

Brett Howden scores past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Knights a 4-0 lead in the second period Monday at T-Mobile Arena.

Ellen Schmidt Las Vegas Review-Journal @ellenschmidttt

STANLEY CUP FINAL | GAME 2: GOLDEN KNIGHTS 7, PANTHERS 2

RIGHT: Golden Knights right wing Jonathan Marchessault pursues the puck against Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, center Zac Dalpe and defenseman Aaron Ekblad during the second period of Florida’s 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at FLA Live Arena.

L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE: Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy tries to pass the puck past Panthers center Anton Lundell during the second period of Florida’s 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at FLA Live Arena. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE LEFT: Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy directs his players during the second period of the Knights’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at FLA Live Arena. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

LEFT: Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk skates through the Golden Knights’ crease after scoring the tying goal with 2:13 left in regulation of Florida’s 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at FLA Live Arena. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Champions! Golden Knights win Stanley Cup, revel in coronation

June 14, 2023 / by Ben Gotz

THE GOLD JERSEYS WRAPPED around Mark Stone as he came to the T-Mobile Arena bench.

The record announced crowd of 19,058 was deafening as hats hit the ice behind the Golden Knights captain. But all that mattered to the Knights was each other, as they pulled in for a tight embrace that was the purest distillation of the bond that brought the team to its ultimate goal.

Spurred by a hat trick from Stone, the group completed its journey to the pinnacle of hockey in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night. The Knights put in one of the best performances of the postseason to eliminate the Florida Panthers with a 9-3 win and become the seventh franchise in NHL history to win a

championship in six seasons or less.

Gold streamers fell from the rafters as the team finished its six-year journey from expansion team to championship club by piling on top of one another by the glass behind its net. The Knights are the 21st active franchise to clinch a Cup, and they did it with depth, determination and a deep commitment to one another that will stand the test of time. Their reward is being linked forever, as their names will join the 3,489 already etched on hockey’s hallowed hardware.

Owner Bill Foley said “Cup in six” before his team even played a game. In year six, the Knights got it done.

“It takes an entire organization,” said right wing Jonathan Marchessault, who

won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. “This is something we will always remember. It’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s definitely the best feeling in the world.”

The buildup

It felt more like a coronation than a game from the beginning.

The fans — who entered excited after a pregame concert from DJ Steve Aoki and a flyover from two F-15 and two F-35 fighter jets from Nellis Air Force Base — erupted before the first puck drop after a surprise from first-year coach Bruce Cassidy. He started five of the Knights’ remaining six original members — Marchessault, left wing Reilly Smith, center William Karlsson, and defensemen Brayden

OPPOSITE: Golden Knights left wing Reilly Smith (19) is swarmed by teammates after scoring during the second period of the Knights’ 9-3 win over the Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. L.E. BASKOW / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

ABOVE: Confetti showers the crowd during the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup championship celebration outside T-Mobile Arena on June 17, 2023. ELLEN SCHMIDT / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

OPPOSITE: Golden Knights fans celebrate during a rally at Toshiba Plaza after the team’s Stanley Cup championship parade on June 17, 2023. CHITOSE SUZUKI / LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL