Okay, so full disclosure. I was originally going to put the title as "the three best days in Vegas Golden Knights history." But somber moments aren't necessarily good days, are they?
So, I decided to try something a little different. Instead of saying "good," let's try for important. That way, you can emphasize the importance of each day in Golden Knights history. Plus, you don't want to sound tone-deaf, right?
These three days should stand out in the Realm as the most significant in the team's history. Without these days, the team's lore wouldn't have as much importance as it does now. And no, I'm not including the Western Conference title from last season since it didn't have as much impact as these three moments.
3.) October 10, 2017: Deryk Engelland's emotional speech
The tragic mass shooting on October 1, 2017, left many lives shaken in Las Vegas. Losing 58 lives in a monstrous event left the city shaken to its core. Leave it to Deryk Engelland to deliver a hard-hitting speech that rallied an entire city for the inaugural season.
#VegasStrong was born and became a heartfelt rallying cry for the Golden Knights. They would win the Pacific Division and do something even more remarkable during the season.
2.) May 20, 2018: The Vegas Golden Knights make the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season
Building off of No. 3 is the moment that capped off a heartwarming run for Vegas. The Golden Knights held off the Winnipeg Jets, 2-1, en route to the first Stanley Cup Final clincher since the St. Louis Blues did it in 1968. Of course, all the expansion teams were in the same division, which is vastly different from merely coming into the league.
Marc-André Fleury had a relatively good Stanley Cup run in the Western Conference portion. He had four shutouts during his historic reign, leading the Golden Knights to a captivating run. While Vegas fell to the Washington Capitals, 4-1, they finished the story six years later.
1.) June 13, 2023: The Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup
Imagine standing inside T-Mobile Arena and you're excited about watching the Golden Knights hoist the Stanley Cup. Then, Mark Stone scores shorthanded. Then, it's Nicolas Hague.
Two goals up in the first period. You can taste the glory. Florida gets one back, but Alec Martinez responds with a goal. Then, Reilly Smith follows suit, followed by Mark Stone (again!) and Michael Amadio with a buzzer-beater. The Stanley Cup is in the bag, right?
Ivan Barbashev made sure that happened with a goal. Sure, Florida got two back. But Mark Stone topped it off with an empty-netter for a hat trick, followed by Nicolas Roy.
This was a moment six years in the making, when No. 2 didn't have a happy ending. Thousands upon thousands of people made it to T-Mobile Arena and Toshiba Plaza that day, celebrating a promise fulfilled by Bill Foley. Suddenly, you forgot about the little arguments and made new friends because of that moment.
One day. One day forever etched in Las Vegas sports lore, dedicated to the fans faithful to the team since "Day F*****g One."
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