Vegas Golden Knights win first Stanley Cup just 6 seasons after debut
Conrad Hoyt
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The Vegas Golden Knights dominated the Florida Panthers on Tuesday 9-3 to take home their first Stanley Cup, just six seasons after making their NHL debut.
The Golden Knights defeated the Panthers in five games in the Stanley Cup Finals behind a commanding team effort, including shining performances from Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Jonathan Marchessault, who was named MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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In the five games in the final series against the Panthers, Las Vegas’s very own hockey team outscored their opponents 26-12.
The Golden Knights just entered the fray in 2017 when the NHL had an expansion draft. They became Las Vegas’s first major professional sports team.
Atypical for franchises just starting out, the Golden Knights experienced immediate success, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season. However, it wasn’t until Tuesday that they were able to win it all, and they did it in front of their home fans.
There was speculation in 2017 over how much fan interest there would be in a city with so much else to offer. Those doubts proved to be for naught. This season, the Golden Knights played to 104% fan capacity, according to Front Office Sports.
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The franchise’s success, almost doubling in value since its inception, is sure to convince other prospective owners and leagues across the United States that becoming the newest franchise in an organization is a sound financial strategy.
As for Las Vegas, which added the Raiders in 2020 in the team’s relocation from Oakland, it would not be a huge surprise if the city added another sports franchise in the next decade, possibly in the NBA or MLB.