Knights share big day with fans at the D
TKATS! Bureau at this writing is the D Las Vegas, where co-owner Derek Stevens is ready to drop the puck while running the no-huddle offense.
Mixed metaphors aside, the D is fast becoming downtown’s predominant sports hotel-casino. It’s an official promotional venue for the Vegas Golden Knights, and it is known for hosting one of the city’s grandest Super Bowl parties.
The action will be in full Fleury — er, fury — from
1-3 p.m. Sunday, when the D hosts the Vegas Golden Knights Fan Fest, a mid-season pep rally at 3rd Street Stage. For red-carpet crawlers, that event happens at Casino Center Boulevard, with the full team joined by Knights owner Bill Foley, head coach Gerard Gallant and team president Kerry Bubolz.
Knights broadcasters Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy will be on hand to emcee. The event is free and open to the public. I expect a throng, and also chanting. Just like any other day on Fremont Street.
Thursday, Knights goalie Oscar Dansk will hit the hotel’s famed Longbar for a meet-and-greet from 7-8 p.m. This event is also free to the public, but it is restricted to guests 21 and over.
The D is also prepping for its second Downtown Watch Zone Big Game Bash (or, as I’m permitted to call it, Super Bowl Bash) at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.
The outdoor venue is being outfitted with an artificial-turf football field and a 72-foot LED screen.
General seating at hundreds of four-top tables is free, and guests will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Several cabana-styled “Man Caves,” each equipped with its own flat-screen monitors and seating for 20, are available for purchase.
Last year’s event drew slightly fewer than 3,200 guests, says D Las Vegas Vice President of Operations Jeff Victor. That number should swell this year.
“A lot depends on the teams, and the weather, of course,” Victor said Tuesday. “But we’re really becoming sports central.”
Off the road again
Willie Nelson halted his sold-out show Saturday at Harrah’s Resort Socal just as it started. Opening with “Whiskey River,” the 84-yearold Nelson stopped playing, coughed and seemed to have trouble breathing as he departed the stage, according to published reports.
Nelson’s family and a rep for the legendary artist subsequently announced he would recuperate for the rest of the week, wiping out his dates at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday nights. He also spiked Sunday’s scheduled show at the Edgewater in Laughlin. The new dates for the Cosmo are Oct. 19 and 20. Those holding tickets for this weekend’s shows can use them in October.
“Apologies all, Dad has the flu so we canceled this week’s gigs in Cali and Vegas,” Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson posted on social media. “If you have tickets, please contact the venue for a refund and we hope to see you on the road again soon.”
Palms at night
More from our sweep through the ever-evolving Palms on Monday. The Pearl Concert Theater’s first ticketed show after renovations is a soft opening featuring hard bodies. The 2018 Jay Cutler Desert Classic bodybuilding and fitness competition is set for March 31.
This is a “soft” opening, not a high-profile re-opening of the venue. Renovations will certainly still be underway in the theater when Cutler (a four-time Mr. Olympia champ and Las Vegas resident) and his cohorts take over the venue.
Also on the Pearl’s extended schedule: Juanes on May 19, Charlie Puth on Aug. 12 and Niall Horan on Aug. 18.
Across the casino floor, Rain Nightclub is also being made over, expensively, by Tao Group. The 29,000-squarefoot club and 73,000-squarefoot pool club can host 5,000 revelers. Performing some educated arithmetic: The project should cost upwards of $60 million to finish (Marquee at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas cost $60 million in 2010).
The idea is to compete with destination nightspots such as Marquee, the original Tao at The Venetian and XS Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas, nightspots that sapped business from the once-dominant Palms.
Take from a Ranger
The electric atmosphere at T-mobile Arena for Knights games has impressed visiting officials. After Sunday’s game, when the Knights beat the New York Rangers 2-1 in front of a season-high crowd of 18,234, Rangers Senior Vice President of Public Relations John Rosasco passed along this note:
“It was a tremendous atmosphere and in-game experience for fans. I don’t recall seeing a regular-season game where everyone was in their seats for the national anthem.”
Rosasco has been working in the NHL for more than 30 years, all with the Rangers.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him atjkatsilometes@ reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @ Johnnykats1 on Instagram. As of 9 p.m. Tuesday:
1. Rain brings flooding throughout Las Vegas Valley — VIDEO
A storm system that dumped more than half as much rain as the Las Vegas Valley saw all of last year also brought with it the wettest January day on record.
2. Vegas Strong Fund says it won’t be cutting any more checks
A Vegas Strong Fund official said Monday that no more checks would be issued to victims of the Oct. 1 shooting, but half of all money raised by the charity would be donated to a separate nonprofit, the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund.
3. Judge in Las Vegas dismisses case against Cliven Bundy, 2 sons
A federal judge dismissed felony conspiracy and weapons charges Monday against Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy, two of his sons and an independent militia member.
4. Rain snarls Las Vegas Valley traffic, forces water rescues
A flurry of crashes and several water rescues kept first responders busy Tuesday as heavy rainfall persisted throughout the
Las Vegas Valley.
5. Firefighter hurt while battling blaze at mall in southwest Las Vegas
A firefighter was hospitalized after a southwest Las Vegas Valley strip mall erupted in flames Monday night. As of 9 p.m. Tuesday:
1. Las Vegas stormwaters
The valley’s recordbreaking 116-day dry streak ended Monday, with 0.14 inches of rain before midnight. The valley saw another 0.35 inches of rain between midnight and 6 a.m. Tuesday, the weather service said.
2. Summerlin’s newest park offers kid-friendly adventures
Fox Hill Park — Summerlin’s newest park — has been getting plenty of visitors since opening in mid-december.
3. Las Vegas shooting survivor learning to walk again
Katrina Hannah was at the Route 91 festival for a friend’s bachelorette party.