Where were you when the Vegas Golden Knights soundly defeated the Florida Panthers, 9-3, to win their first Stanley Cup? Were you at home watching the action unfold on TNT? Perhaps you were at the watch party on Toshiba Plaza, making friends among the thousands in attendance? Hopefully, you took a day off from work. Maybe you were lucky to be inside T-Mobile Arena to see Vegas win the Stanley Cup Final.
Whatever the case, every Las Vegas resident has their story of where they were when the Golden Knights won their first title. Overcoming 31 other teams to dominate the Stanley Cup playoffs is never easy. Yet, Vegas made it look seamless, disposing of Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Dallas before finishing off Florida.
Today marks the first anniversary of that clinching date. With that victory came many iconic moments, including a heart-shaped photo after winning and William Karlsson's memorable drunken speech. It's a date celebrated by many hockey fans in Las Vegas, where they witnessed their hockey team finish the story from six years prior.
June 13, 2023, was a day when strangers became best friends for life. That included exchanging high-fives and drinks with your new friends. It didn't matter what your race, religion, or other defining characteristics each person was. In the end, they were a Vegas Golden Knights fan. Hockey took precedence over life itself and united an entire realm. That realm was thirsty for a successful team in a major sports league.
But the journey was something to behold, specifically on that clinching day. It contained an unforgettable day where the entire Las Vegas valley was united. Here's a personal tale from the day when the Golden Knights took home Lord Stanley for the first time.