Team’s success could attract more league business to city
Bettman says All-star Game is a possibility
The Golden Knights and Las Vegas again will host the NHL Awards Show when the league’s best are honored June 20 at the Hard Rock Hotel.
But are there other league events Las Vegas might soon host?
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who was at T-mobile Arena on Wednesday for Game 1 of the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, didn’t discount the idea of the Knights hosting the NHL draft or the All-star Game or participating in a Stadium Series outdoor game.
“The team’s been pretty popular out of the gate, and the awareness of the team is growing daily,” Bettman said. “Las Vegas has proved it can host major events, as evidenced by the fact we are here.
“My guess is, with all the things going on, that the club will request in the not too distant future to be included in our events, whether it’s the All-star Game or an outdoor game, though we’d have to look at the weather patterns a little bit.”
The NHL has indicated a desire to play an outdoor game at West Point, home of the U.S. Military Academy. Knights owner Bill Foley is a West Point graduate. So is Vinnie Viola, owner of the Florida Panthers, who have not played in an outdoor event in their 25-year history.
So why not have the Knights and Panthers play at Michie Stadium?
“The ruminations are beyond anything we’ve been focused on right now,” Bettman said. “We’ve already announced our outdoor games for next year, and as we work down the line we look at all the options and alternatives. It’s something we’ll discuss at some point, but the last time I checked, West Point isn’t in either Las Vegas’ or Florida’s territory.
“There are a whole host of factors. I don’t want to pour cold water on it, and I don’t want to get people excited about it. It just isn’t anything
we’ve considered yet.”
Perron out for Game 1
Forward David Perron, the Knights’ third-leading scorer, missed the opener because of an undisclosed injury.
Perron missed the final six regular-season games. He practiced the past three days and remains questionable for Game 2 on Friday.
Defenseman Luca Sbisa (hand), who hasn’t played since Feb. 27, also missed Game 1.
Dylan Ferguson recalled
With the Knights looking for a third goaltender for practices and in case of an emergency, Dylan Ferguson was promoted to the NHL team. He recently ended his season with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, where he was 24-28-1-3 with one shutout, a 2.95 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @ stevecarprj on Twitter.