Where were you on June 13, 2023? Were you partying at MGM Grand Casino, watching the Vegas Golden Knights game? Perhaps you were at Toshiba Plaza, partying with your friends? Whatever the case, June 13 holds a special significance for Golden Knights fans.
It signifies an ownership group not settling for less. It showed a resilient community supporting each other through tough times. Most of all, it showed an undeniable winner that rose to the occassion.
Take your pick among the many memorable moments throughout the season. Perhaps it was Adin Hill's dramatic Game 1 save. Maybe it was Mark Stone's hat trick in the clinching game. Whatever it was, it united a community and proved that hockey worked in the desert.
It also proved that expansion teams shouldn't be counted out. Ever. I can't tell you how many people discounted the Golden Knights heading into their inaugural season. Yeah, they had Marc-Andre Fleury. But that was it.
So, how did an expansion team complete an improbable story that captivated audiences everywhere? When did it all begin? Well, let's take a look at the journey that made Vegas a hockey town.