Vegas Golden Knights fans have heard it all before. They've heard the accusations surrounding the team and the alleged conspiracy that involves Gary Bettman.
"BeTtMaN wAnTs ThE gOlDeN kNiGhTs To WiN!"
"VeGaS gOlDeN rEfS!"
It's a never-ending cycle of wild theories that capture the modern spirit. People don't like it when their team loses, so they'll come up with something to cope with. For Golden Knights fans, it's become routine, especially during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy has heard the accusations himself, dealing with fans deep in the conspiracy rabbit hole. On Saturday, he unleashed a quote that Golden Knights fans agreed on unanimously.
"It seems like it annoys a lot of other hockey fans." -Cassidy on VGKs success as a franchise
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 3, 2025
Those rumblings came after the Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild in the first round in six games. Accusations of referees fixing games for the series favorites, even when Mark Stone got clipped with a high stick. Now? Vegas is expecting more of it the further they progress.
With that, it's time to educate those people still delving into said theories and give them a breakdown of a successful franchise. This will include some fun facts about the Golden Knights that not many people knew existed. But here's a warning: Some of this might upset certain people, whether it's the hockey fans in the South Bay or podcast hosts in the Pacific Northwest who don't know a good expansion story.
Fun facts of the Vegas Golden Knights and their wild success
First, the Vegas Golden Knights have an all-time record of 362-198-59. They've amassed 100 or more points along with 50 or more wins in three seasons, making the Stanley Cup Final in the first two seasons. They're currently working on making that a third year, both in the wins and points categories.
The Golden Knights have also had some playoff success with a record of 61-40 all-time. That includes a blazing 16-6 run in 2023 that netted their first Stanley Cup. Of course, they faced Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers that season, where they defeated Edmonton in the second round, 4-2. Ironically, they're facing the Oilers in the second round this postseason.
But their laundry list of accomplishments has also been impressive. Here's a brief look at what they've pulled off in their first eight years of existence in the NHL:
- Seven Stanley Cup playoff appearances
- Four Pacific Division titles
- Four Semifinal appearances
- Two Stanley Cup Final appearances (one in the inaugural season)
- One Stanley Cup title
Of course, they've also gone through their history with players and front office figures winning individual awards. The list of names is extensive, showing a commitment to winning from Bill Foley himself.
- William Karlsson (2017-18 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner)
- George Gallant (2017-18 General Manager of the Year winner)
- Gerard Gallant (2017-18 Jack Adams winner)
- Deryk Engelland (2017-18 Mark Messiah Leadership winner)
- Marc-Andre Fleury (2020-21 Vezina Trophy winner and 2020-21 NHL First-Team All-Star)
- Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner (2020-21 William M. Jennings winners)
- Jonathan Marchessault (2022-23 Conn Smythe winner)
That's not even mentioning Jack Eichel being nominated for the Lady Byng trophy this season. Don't forget the 14 All-Star selections to go with the franchise's success. Mind you, he would be the second player to win the trophy in franchise history. That would prove Bruce Cassidy right (who didn't even get nominated for the Jack Adams trophy, by the way. What a travesty!)
The moral of the story? People hate a winner, I guess.