Las Vegas Hockey: I Am Convinced – Desert Knights It Is

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 22: New Las Vegas NHL franchise owner Bill Foley addresses the media during the Board Of Governors Press Conference prior to the 2016 NHL Awards at Encore Las Vegas on June 22, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NHL's board of governors approved expanding to Las Vegas, making the franchise the 31st team in the league. The team will start play during the 2017-18 season and play at the newly built T-Mobile Arena. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 22: New Las Vegas NHL franchise owner Bill Foley addresses the media during the Board Of Governors Press Conference prior to the 2016 NHL Awards at Encore Las Vegas on June 22, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NHL's board of governors approved expanding to Las Vegas, making the franchise the 31st team in the league. The team will start play during the 2017-18 season and play at the newly built T-Mobile Arena. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Okay, I am convinced. No more me having to write Las Vegas Hockey (Thank God!) because we are about to be introduced to the Las Vegas Desert Knights, the newest NHL franchise. We are days, not weeks away from knowing for sure.

Saint Demetrio, by Joani Çetiri, 17th Century, tempera on wood. Albania, Tirana, Institute for Cultural Monuments. Whole artwork view. Saint Demetrio, symbol of GOod winning on Evil, on a red horse piercing his enemy. (Photo by Sergio Anelli/Electa/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Saint Demetrio, by Joani Çetiri, 17th Century, tempera on wood. Albania, Tirana, Institute for Cultural Monuments. Whole artwork view. Saint Demetrio, symbol of GOod winning on Evil, on a red horse piercing his enemy. (Photo by Sergio Anelli/Electa/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

I have come to this realization after reading an interesting interview of Las Vegas Hockey owner Bill Foley, by NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika. As always, Foley was being coy. So much so that Cotsonika jokingly wrote the NHL team will be called the Red Herrings. But there was enough meat that Foley provided to convince me that the Desert Knights it is.

As part of the interview Cotsinika quoted Foley thus:

"“My goal is to really have a culture that has a military origin to it, of loyalty, strength, perseverance,” he said. “We never stop trying. We never give up. We never give in. That kind of culture.“That’s really what I’m trying to do with the name and the logo, and I believe once that gets accomplished, guys that come and play for our team, if we pick the right type of players, they are going to embrace that culture and they are going to feel kind of a strength and power from being part of that organization.“That’s why I’ve been pretty stubborn about various names and trying to keep it coming back to what I think I really want this team to represent. This is my one chance to do it.”"

Loyalty, strength, perseverance, “We never stop trying. We never give up. We never give in.”

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It is sad, because I have been staunchly holding out for the Las Vegas Chukwallas. But then, Foley never returned my messages or emails about that. And of course, this may be just more disinformation by the ex-Army guy as he works behind the scene to bring the name and logo to fruition. Las Vegas Desert Knights. Well, it is much better than the Las Vegas Hockey franchise.

Of course there still are some other “Knight” names in circulation: Silver Knights or Golden Knights. By their very nature they seem too glittery for the type of in your face, hard core

warriors

players Foley wants to see on his team. Desert knights has that, going away from the glitz of The Strip and embracing the traditions of the miners and railroad men who forged the state of Nevada.

No Chukwallas? Well, maybe we can get an AHL franchise with that name. How about the Reno Chukwallas?

Because I am now convinced the Las Vegas Desert Knights are going to be running roughshod in Southern Nevada.