Vegas Hockey Knight
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Las Vegas Hockey: We May Have The Best Home Ice Advantage in the NHL

By Richard Evans

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 7: The new T-Mobile Arena at Toshiba Plaza, expected to be the home of an NHL team, is viewed on June 7, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tourism in America's 'Sin City' has, over the last several years, made a significant comeback following the Great Recession, with visitors filling the hotels, restaurants, and casinos in record numbers. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 7: The new T-Mobile Arena at Toshiba Plaza, expected to be the home of an NHL team, is viewed on June 7, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tourism in America's 'Sin City' has, over the last several years, made a significant comeback following the Great Recession, with visitors filling the hotels, restaurants, and casinos in record numbers. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /
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We are still months away, but Las Vegas Hockey fans may soon be looking at the team with the best home ice advantage in the NHL. And no, it is not because General Manager George McPhee having hired goaltending guru Dave Prior as its  goalkeeping coach. No, there are great things working to give Las Vegas better results at home.

Some of these factors making the home ice an advantage are in your face. Some factors are going to be more subtle. But visiting teams coming to play hockey in Las Vegas better have their heads on right.

T-Mobile Arena

The first Las Vegas Hockey Open House at the T-Mobile Arena was an eye opener. Lots of unexpected things. Okay – one was simply I had forgotten how cold an ice rink needs to be. Bring jackets and sweaters fans. And yeah, there were Budweiser signs every 12 inches. But the most impressive thing to me was how small it looked. it is supposed to be 17,500 seats in hockey mode. It felt more like 12,000, maybe 13,000 to me.

There are no bad seats in this place. No nosebleed seats where you are craning your neck around stanchions and rafters. No columns to bar your view of the goal mouth. In short, this is no Brooklyn were you have to watch the scoreboard to know what is going on in the game in front of you. If fans can’t get loud and pump up the home team in this arena, if they can’t scream and snarl and push their players into a huge home ice advantage in this close up feel, then Las Vegas doesn’t deserve an NHL team. Just saying.

Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 20: Mixed martial artist Conor McGregor celebrates his UFC 202 victory during the official after-fight party at Intrigue Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas on August 20, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas)
LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 20: Mixed martial artist Conor McGregor celebrates his UFC 202 victory during the official after-fight party at Intrigue Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas on August 20, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas) /

One of the concerns always coming up when talking Las Vegas and professional sports is the focus factor. Can athletes live in Sin City and still play at a high level?

Here is the not so secret harbored by lots of sports people in this town. From UNLV basketball to the Las Vegas 51s, to our past hockey franchises the Las Vegas Thunder and Las Vegas Wranglers, this city is a massive home advantage and this will play out on the ice.

Visitors get overwhelmed by the glitz, the 24-hour nature of the city, the clubs, the shows and the gaming. Locals? They are hardened to the glitz and merely get on with their lives. My wife is typical. When she was a sometime and then regular visitor she spent most of her time on The Strip. Now that we live here? She only goes to The Strip for the odd birthday or anniversary celebration.

Visiting teams tend to come to Las Vegas and you have to do some party, right? Meanwhile Las Vegas players are at home just working and getting ready. Especially in modern sports grueling travel schedules being hard enough, visitors now have the additional distractions of Sin City. The Las Vegas Hockey home ice is going to be that much more of an advantage.

George McPhee

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 13: George McPhee speaks after being introduced as the general manager of the Las Vegas NHL franchise during a news conference at T-Mobile Arena on July 13, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 13: George McPhee speaks after being introduced as the general manager of the Las Vegas NHL franchise during a news conference at T-Mobile Arena on July 13, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The final key is the General Manager, Mr George McPhee. His time spent with the Washington Capitals developed his philosophy. If anything his watching the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the last Stanley Cup with its pressing, uptempo style reinforced it. McPhee favors an uptempo, fast skating, physical approach to hockey. Getting the right coach and the right players, this approach could be devastating to a visiting hockey team on the Las Vegas home ice.

Think of it! Third stop on a West Coast swing and you have a day to catch your breath. Except the breath is here in Las Vegas where an MMA match is going off. Then of course drinks, and a stop at Hakkassan. Suddenly you are fighting off the effects of a hangover at the morning skate. Then the puck is dropped and 17,500 roaring fans are screaming in your ear. Come out flat? Maybe flat on your back.

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You look up at the scoreboard and see your team is down 2-0, the coaches are screaming and your teammates look dazed. That is home ice advantage, Las Vegas style.

Do come again

I fully expect that players will be circling the Las Vegas date on their calendars. I also expect coaches and managers to be circling it for a different reason. Players: a nice break in the middle of a long season. Coaches: we need to twist the screws over that fricking Las Vegas home ice

Don’t forget to drop a twenty in the slots at the airport. Maybe you’ll feel better after getting your posterior kicked.

advantage. And questions the operations staff will have to waste planning on their Las Vegas swing. Go a day earlier so the guys can recover? Go at the last minute so they aren’t tempted?

Pass the Pink Chewables. And don’t forget to drop a twenty in the slots at the airport. Maybe you’ll feel better after getting your posterior kicked after experiencing the as Vegas home ice advantage.

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