The Golden Knights celebrate their Stanley Cup victory by displaying their championship banner in a uniquely Vegas style.
The Stanley Cup championship banner was raised by the Golden Knights in a manner that perfectly embodied the spirit of Las Vegas.
Captain Mark Stone positioned the Stanley Cup adjacent to a larger-than-usual slot machine on the ice during the season opener against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night. He proceeded to activate the lever, resulting in three Cups aligning as the jackpot. Subsequently, to the exhilaration of the packed audience and the observing players, a banner started to emerge from the slot machine. Shortly after this thrilling moment, the team triumphed over Seattle with a score of 4-1.
“I cannot reword.”
Before the players came on the ice, a video played in T-Mobile Arena going through the team’s short history from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announcing Las Vegas was awarded an expansion team to the expansion draft to Deryk Engelland’s emotional speech following the Route 91 Harvest festival mass shooting.
The highlights were subsequently displayed, culminating in the Knights emerging victorious and securing their inaugural championship in June.
The Knights concluded their three-day celebration by raising the banner. In a private ceremony on Sunday, they were presented with championship rings adorned with white and yellow diamonds, weighing 12 carats. On Monday night, prior to the Las Vegas Raiders’ game against the Green Bay Packers, the players had the honor of lighting the Al Davis memorial torch at Allegiant Stadium.
Not only did the Knights raise their banner to the rafters, Tuesday marked six years since Engelland delivered his “Vegas Strong” speech, nine days after the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Vegas’ championship banner resides next to one that memorializes the victims of the Route 91 Harvest festival shooting with 60 stars representing each victim who died from that tragedy.
The Knights successfully achieved owner Bill Foley’s promise to win the Cup within six years, which initially seemed overly optimistic. However, Vegas displayed competitiveness right from the start, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. Unfortunately, they lost to Washington in five games, resulting in the Capitals celebrating their victory on the Knights’ home ice.
The Knights made the most of their chance at the Cup and emerged victorious. They dominated the Florida Panthers, winning in just five games with a score of 9-3, all while being cheered on by an enthusiastic home crowd.
The Knights have made the decision to attempt a repeat, bringing back all of their skaters from the Final except for one. Reilly Smith, who was one of the original six Knights, has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
