Icing in Sin City
November 23, 2016 1:16 PM   Subscribe

After several months of waiting, followed by an additional several weeks of waiting for reasons nobody was quite clear on, and then a few more minutes of waiting while they tried to figure out how to get their video to play, the NHL’s newest expansion team finally has an identity. The Las Vegas To-Be-Determineds are dead. Long live the Vegas Golden Knights.

For most hockey fans, the real excitement will come in June at the expansion draft.

Rules for 2017 Expansion Draft
(the basics):
* Clubs will have two options for players they wish to protect in the Expansion Draft
* All Clubs must meet the minimum requirements regarding players exposed for selection in the Expansion Draft
* The Las Vegas franchise must select one player from each presently existing club for a total of 30 players (not including additional players who may be acquired as the result of violations of the Expansion Draft rules).

Craig Button's mock draft at TSN.

r/hockey did a detailed mock draft in the off-season, with fans of each team drawing up a protected list:
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
St Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets
Culminating in three mock drafts:
Las Vegas Blackjack & Hookers
Vegas Vipers
Las Vegas Knight Knights
Summary
posted by mannequito (39 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Vegas' minor league baseball team is called the Area 51's (I own a cap). Much cooler name.
posted by jonmc at 1:22 PM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


I just realized that I'm wearing the 51's hat in my user page pic.
posted by jonmc at 1:30 PM on November 23, 2016 [3 favorites]


A prime opportunity was missed here, given the neon lights on the Strip:

Introducing your Las Vegas Neon Knights! Sing it, Ronnie.

Oh well, maybe they can come up with a Black Sabbath tribute night or something like that.
posted by stannate at 1:30 PM on November 23, 2016 [2 favorites]


And for some reason it's specifically the "Vegas Golden Knights," not the "Las Vegas Golden Knights."
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:31 PM on November 23, 2016


So the NHL has completely given up on expanding into cities that actually care about hockey? Or ever have naturally occurring ice?
posted by octothorpe at 1:39 PM on November 23, 2016 [9 favorites]


They keep them in their back pocket as a plan B if one of the expansion teams fail and need to be relocated, eg. Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2012. In fact this may be playing out in slow motion now with Carolina possibly moving to Quebec City.

Since there's now an odd number of teams and they need another in the West to balance the conferences, the next expansion is almost guaranteed to be Seattle.
posted by mannequito at 1:47 PM on November 23, 2016


So the NHL has completely given up on expanding into cities that actually care about hockey? Or ever have naturally occurring ice?

Nowadays it's more important to have unnaturally occurring money to support a team.
posted by Celsius1414 at 1:52 PM on November 23, 2016 [6 favorites]


Canada is already saturated with hockey, we could have more teams and selll more tickets than in the US south but in term of media rights money there's probably not much more to be had.

Being present in more US markets is supposedly better for TV rights since having teams everywhere in the country makes you less of a regional thing.

Seattle wasn't ready to build its arena at the moment they did the expansion so it was Vegas and Quebec City. It is unknown if the NHL rejected Quebec City outright (a possibility) or if they pulled out themselves due to the Canaidian dollar being rally weak. It would also further have unbalanced the east vs west conferences and while its a sure thing the building will be full every night in Qc its not clear how much more money the league as a whole will get from a franchise over there.

Mind you they're not making money from their Arizona franchise either, but it's i the Us and the league is hell bent on not losing US teams however worthless they are.
posted by coust at 1:53 PM on November 23, 2016


The Las Vegas Varmints...
posted by jim in austin at 2:00 PM on November 23, 2016


I fear that my dearest desire for Las Vegans was doomed from the start.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:01 PM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


My kids came up with (I think, anyways) some good names this past summer:

Las Vegas Rattlers
Las Vegas Sidewinders
Las Vegas Scorpions

My suggestion is the Vegas Busted Flush, but perhaps it is too on the nose.
posted by nubs at 2:05 PM on November 23, 2016


they didn't like my Las Vegas Loca suggestion either, with the motto "They'll turn you upside, inside, out and make you take your clothes off to go dancing in the rain"
posted by mannequito at 2:10 PM on November 23, 2016


If they weren't going with

Dealers
High Rollers
Bouncers
or Fallout,

they shoulda stuck with TBDs.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 2:18 PM on November 23, 2016


Logo looks like a Los Angles Kings rip-off. Should have been the High Rollers. Or the Whales. Hmmm, do you think the NHL wants to downplay the gambling aspect of this franchise? "Golden Knights" harkens back to the Oakland Golden Seals (long defunct). I predict the "Golden" part of the name will last about a season and a half, then it will be just the Vegas Knights -- which almost works.
And this expand-to-the-US at all costs strategy is Gary Bettman's Grand Plan. So far, it hasn't worked. (Bettman also promised to expand into previous franchise holders first, i.e., Quebec. But what can you expect: the man is a lying little turd.)
posted by CCBC at 2:19 PM on November 23, 2016


They should go full Hasselhoff: Vegas Knight Riders
posted by nubs at 2:22 PM on November 23, 2016 [4 favorites]


Aces would have been fine, but we wouldn't want to associate Las Vegas with gambling. Even just the Knights, but I guess that just wasn't tacky enough. Plenty of great names available, but we end up with something bland and overcomplicated at the same time, like a Quizno's tuna melt. Perfect for Gary Bettman's half-assed NHL. Bleh.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:33 PM on November 23, 2016


But nothing has ever been worse than when the new Anaheim franchise named itself after a terrible Disney movie, christening themselves The Mighty Ducks in 1993. Everyone over the age of six hated it, and the team dropped the “Mighty” in 2006.

Wow, way to drop the ball there, Guardian.
posted by Apocryphon at 2:58 PM on November 23, 2016


So the NHL has completely given up on expanding into cities that actually care about hockey? Or ever have naturally occurring ice?

It seems like possibly one of the smarter expansions, I think; just to grab a random example, it's cheaper to fly from Winnipeg to Las Vegas than to Minneapolis, and it's a direct flight, to boot. Las Vegas is a huge destination for Canadian tourists, and even if the dollar issue has slowed that down, NHL would be a great added incentive for people to make the trip. Tickets could be included in vacation packages, etc. I can see them getting good attendance, though I doubt a lot will be there to root for the home team.

Stupid name and logo, though.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 4:29 PM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'd like to Vegas to build half of a hockey arena and have the other half just be trompe l'oiel like the canals at the Venetian.
posted by srboisvert at 4:41 PM on November 23, 2016 [5 favorites]


I also look forward to the infinite number of jokes that broadcasters and sports anchors will make about how they can't talk about their teams away games at Vegas.
posted by srboisvert at 4:46 PM on November 23, 2016 [3 favorites]


Well, let me be the first to say that while I don't especially care for (or even pretend to understand) the name of the new Las Vegas franchise, I nevertheless wish them the best of luck in the upcoming season, and fuck Gary Bettman.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:52 PM on November 23, 2016


octothorpe: "So the NHL has completely given up on expanding into cities that actually care about hockey? Or ever have naturally occurring ice?"

Well global warming means in 20 years the only people with natural ice will be north of 60.
posted by Mitheral at 5:34 PM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


Since there's now an odd number of teams and they need another in the West to balance the conferences, the next expansion is almost guaranteed to be Seattle.

And yet, literally no one here wants a hockey team.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:19 PM on November 23, 2016


The owner, Bill Foley, is a graduate of West Point, and their sports teams are the Black Knights, so something along those lines was coming for sure. Why golden? Well, Army's team colors are black and gold, so that fits too.
posted by ersatzjef at 7:24 PM on November 23, 2016 [3 favorites]


I bet the franchise won't last.
posted by davebush at 7:28 PM on November 23, 2016


Yes, but what color is the logo?
posted by schmod at 7:33 PM on November 23, 2016


octothorpe: "So the NHL has completely given up on expanding into cities that actually care about hockey? Or ever have naturally occurring ice?"

I suspect that all of the professional sports leagues are worried that "The Green Bay Incident" might happen again.
posted by schmod at 7:34 PM on November 23, 2016


saturday_morning,
there is already a minor league baseball team called the Reno Aces.
posted by cruelfood at 7:58 PM on November 23, 2016


well, at least the Raides aren't comingg
posted by skewed at 8:47 PM on November 23, 2016


CCBC: "I predict the "Golden" part of the name will last about a season and a half, then it will be just the Vegas Knights -- which almost works."

I believe there is a trademark issue there with the London Knights of the OHL.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:20 PM on November 23, 2016 [2 favorites]


Since other folks have mooted theirs, I gotta say that the missed opportunities were Enforcers and Goons. But if gambling was a no-go, I can't imagine that the NHL would have let the team be named for mobsters.
posted by klangklangston at 10:13 PM on November 23, 2016


So the NHL has completely given up on expanding into cities that actually care about hockey? Or ever have naturally occurring ice?

The NHL is trying to build a US national advertising market, and chooses new franchises based on that goal, among other things (existence of monied ownership with an arena deal is one).
posted by notyou at 10:54 PM on November 23, 2016


Anyway, it won't be long until they are the G'Nights.
posted by notyou at 10:57 PM on November 23, 2016 [2 favorites]


I believe there is a trademark issue there with the London Knights of the OHL.

Actually they had to ask my Alma mater for permission to use the name as the Golden Knights already existed.
posted by koolkat at 1:24 AM on November 24, 2016


UCF had their fun with it too.
posted by lmfsilva at 3:17 AM on November 24, 2016


More Golden Knights
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 3:21 AM on November 24, 2016


It's tacky, gaudy, and has an air of loucheness about it. "Golden Knights" is a good fit for a Vegas sports team. IMO.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:46 AM on November 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


It'll be great for every little kid who grew up in Vegas, spending every winter skating on the local pond, dreaming of one day playing professional hockey.
posted by leotrotsky at 2:58 PM on November 24, 2016


Update: looks like the team name is now in trouble.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:59 PM on December 8, 2016


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