This story has a happy ending
Although the Florida Panthers would add two more goals, the Vegas Golden Knights would add three more. As the clock was winding down, the fans got louder. Suddenly, the countdown was on, with two minutes left. Then, it was one minute left, where Toshiba Plaza was even louder. Then, the countdown began.
"FIVE!"
"FOUR!"
"THREE!"
"TWO!"
"ONE!"
The horn sounded as the Vegas Golden Knights became the 2023 Stanley Cup champions. Never was a place so loud in my lifetime, for the crowd roar was close to being on par with a deafening explosion. Fans hung on each other's shoulders, singing "We Are The Champions." Singing that was a rite of passage for any champion, with the Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup Final.
On the way home, there were plenty of hugs and high-fives. There were fans giving bear hugs and lifting others off the ground. It was acceptable this time because Vegas had proven the hockey world wrong. From the many doubters who thought this team would struggle out the gate to those saying hockey didn't belong in the desert. If there's one thing that made Las Vegas unique, it was the overwhelming presence of irony.
The Stanley Cup was no different, coming to a city where it's triple-digit temperatures for a third of the year. Still, it didn't matter since it felt like a community. One where fans from different backgrounds could unite together for a common cause. One where you had to take a day off work to see something magical.