A look at the greatest expansion franchises (and why the Vegas Golden Knights are one of them)

The Vegas Golden Knights have been one of the best expansion stories in hockey. Here are three similar stories to the Golden Knights in the sports world.

Seattle Kraken v Vegas Golden Knights
Seattle Kraken v Vegas Golden Knights | Candice Ward/GettyImages
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Arizona Diamondbacks

In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks joined the MLB scene alongside the Tampa Bay Rays. These two teams are currently the latest added to the baseball realm, similar to the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken. However, the Diamondbacks are closer to the Golden Knights than their American League counterparts.

In 2001, they became the youngest team to win the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees in seven games. They also won the NL West after their inaugural season, adding two more titles during their five-season run.

How did they do this? They acquired big names such as Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. These acquisitions were akin to the Golden Knights acquiring Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres. It helped them get over the top and establish themselves as a success story in the expansion team world.

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