Reliving the day the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup

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.

Getting out of work for a Vegas Golden Knights watch party

It's June 13, 2023. I was working at the Animal Foundation, going through another day as the KEPPT Coordinator. Getting ready for the upcoming week and stocking up the pet food pantry was just another Tuesday. But game five of the Stanley Cup Final was going to be huge. As in hundreds of thousands in attendance at the Toshiba Plaza-huge. This was a can't-miss event where the masses would cheer in unison for kept promises from seven years ago.

After all, who wouldn't want to see a Stanley Cup prophecy fulfilled in the sixth year? It would be a testament to ownership's might, making challenging decisions along the way. Such an opportunity comes once in a lifetime, so I approached my supervisor about getting out early. There was no way I was missing the ending of this movie.

Luckily, she was reasonable and easy-going about the whole situation.

"As long as you got the PTO for it, you're good."

That was enough for me to head out of the shelter for half a day and drive to Toshiba Plaza, overwhelming heat be damned. There's nothing more important than a potential clincher. That's especially true when it's the local team set to win the entire Stanley Cup playoffs. Of course, getting there early was key since there would be so many people.

Pre-game festivities to finish the Stanley Cup playoffs

Las Vegas is known for putting on a show. It doesn't matter if it's the showgirls, magicians, or other intriguing acts. Entertainment and indulging in some good ol' fashioned sin is what makes the city unique. It's a major part of it being the entertainment capital of the world, tapping into your deepest desires and making them real.

That was on full display at the watch party, where there was a live DJ at Toshiba Plaza. Of course, there were some showgirls adorned in the Golden Knights colors making their way through the stage. After that followed the drum line, followed by the Vegas Vivas. Finally, Chance came out and the crowd was ready for the story to end.

I met with a few friends for the event, one of which was hoping the Vegas Golden Knights would win in honor of his fallen lover. It would've made for a heartfelt moment where he could honor his memory, with his favorite hockey team finishing the job. We mixed some vodka with orange juice during the game, which made for a great cocktail. It also kept our minds off the fact we were packed like sardines.

Slowly, the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup Final became a reality

There was some tension in the first period when the Florida Panthers were on the power play. This was a team with a loaded offensive roster, capable of scoring at will. However, Mark Stone silenced Florida and got the crowd hyped up, pouncing on a turnover in the defensive zone and scoring. It was 1-0 and Las Vegas was electric. Less than two minutes later, an odd-man rush led to a crazy scramble, with Nicolas Hague getting credited for a goal.

"GO, KNIGHTS, GO!"

That was all you could hear at Toshiba Plaza. Fans could taste the glory coming from the most prestigious prize in sports. They wanted to get drunk in its history.

Everyone was hopping up and down in the second period before Aaron Ekblad scored early in the second period. The crowd was quieter, yet Alec Martinez would get the crowd roaring again on a wrister. There was more certainty that Vegas would win the Stanley Cup Final, especially after Reilly Smith scored. Everyone was back to chanting and jumping for joy.

Then came Mark Stone with another and Michael Amadio with a buzzer-beater. For Vegas Golden Knights fans and the team, it was a matter of time before the story was complete. They would own the Stanley Cup playoffs and make Las Vegas the center of the hockey universe. For a community healing from the horrible events of the 2017 shooting, this would've been a fairy-tale ending. The fans were all in, whether it was a big Adin Hill save or a huge Keegan Kolesar hit.