After the Vegas Golden Knights sent Jonathan Marchessault and the Nashville Predators packing on Saturday, they earned a mini-vacation. Well, sort of. They still have two regular season games left and could have the second-most points in the Western Conference.
But the Pacific Division is clinched. No longer are the Golden Knights worried about losing home-ice advantage to the Los Angeles Kings or Edmonton Oilers. That's in the rearview mirror. Now, it's all about resting your guys and giving them a vacation.
Who doesn't love some rest, after all? We all work exhausting hours at our jobs, whether it's at the casino or entering data overnight. You can't expect to work constantly until you die. Luckily, that's why they invented the vacation.
That's what I'm currently doing with my time. A Vancouver Canucks game highlights the trip as the regular season wraps up. The Golden Knights will be the last team Vancouver will see this season, for the Canucks have been eliminated from playoff competition. It looks like Quinn Hughes will hit the links in the spring.
Ironically, Vancouver was last season's Pacific Division champions while the Golden Knights got to golfing in May. They enjoyed a magical run where Hughes (17 goals and 75 assists in 2023-24), J.T. Miller (37 goals and 103 points in 2023-24), and Elias Pettersson (34 goals and 89 points in 2023-24) almost put the Canucks in the Western Conference Final. My, how quickly life comes at you.
Getting a vacation is good for the Vegas Golden Knights... and myself
I've been working nonstop to get the Vegas Hockey Knight website running since March of last year. It consisted of watching plenty of changes, both from an administrative front and a hockey front. Suddenly, you don't have Jonathan Marchessault around anymore. The move caused controversy and saw some fans turn on Kelly McCrimmon.
"How could he do this?"
"There's no loyalty in Vegas."
Less than 10 months later, McCrimmon signs five players to contract extensions. That includes prominent figures like Shea Theodore and Adin Hill. These key figures have kept the Golden Knights afloat throughout the 2024-25 season. They've also gotten the team its fourth Pacific Division title in franchise history.
So what does this have to do with my vacation? Well, it revolves around working hard to maintain something with pride. When you work 24 hours to ensure hockey fans in Las Vegas have the coverage they need, you end up being exhausted.
This vacation has given me room to grow
Have I been perfect? Absolutely not. I'm still learning my way around being the most efficient writer I can be. Is there room to grow? Absolutely. There's no stopping the learning train when you're aspiring to grow within your field. I'm always open to feedback and learning new things in life.
For example, a reader from Boise cautioned me about getting the spelling of Lynyrd Skynyrd incorrect. You see, Americans are passionate about their country. You can't get the name of the band that sings "Free Bird" wrong, you know? That's a lesson I took in stride and haven't forgotten about since.
That's where this vacation comes in. Today, I visited Whistler, a place which was the host "Mountain Resort" for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It freshened my perspective on sports in general, specifically when it comes to hockey. Getting out and experiencing life in itself is as rewarding as watching people read your content, after all.