History of Vegas Golden Knights in Timeline

The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team established in 2017 and based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. As a member of the NHL's Pacific Division in the Western Conference, they were the first major sports franchise to represent Las Vegas. Primarily owned by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, led by Bill Foley, with Adrienne Maloof holding a minority stake, the Golden Knights play their home games at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.

1917: Faux-back 1917 Vintage White Uniforms

For the 2024 Winter Classic, the Golden Knights wore faux-back 1917 vintage white uniforms with heritage gold stripes, gray pants and helmets.

1920: Longest Season-Opening Winning Streak Surpassing 1920-21 Ottawa Senators

In 2023, the Golden Knights' seven-game season-opening win streak set the record for the longest season-opening winning streak of any defending champion, surpassing the record of five previously set by the 1920–21 Ottawa Senators.

1967: Youngest Team to Win Since 1967 Expansion

The Golden Knights became the youngest team to win the Stanley Cup since the NHL's first major expansion in 1967.

1974: Youngest Team to Win Since 1974 Flyers

The Golden Knights became the youngest team to win the Stanley Cup since the Philadelphia Flyers won the Cup in 1974.

1985: Longest Season-Opening Winning Streak Surpassing 1985-86 Oilers

1991: First NHL Outdoor Game in Las Vegas

In 1991, Las Vegas hosted its first NHL outdoor game, a preseason exhibition between the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers outside Caesars Palace.

1995: Faux-back Design from 1995

The Golden Knights' second "Reverse Retro" uniform was a faux-back design from 1995, featuring a black base and a diagonal "VEGAS" wordmark.

2000: Wayne Gretzky's number retired league-wide

In 2000, the jersey number 99 was retired league-wide in honor of Wayne Gretzky at the NHL All-Star Game, meaning the Vegas Golden Knights are not able to issue the number to any of its players.

2000: First Season

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights were the first NHL expansion team since 2000.

2009: NHL Awards and Coyotes Relocation Rumors

Since 2009, the NHL Awards ceremonies have been held in Las Vegas. In 2009, the media speculated about moving the Phoenix Coyotes to Nevada.

August 2014: Las Vegas Expansion Team Rumors

In August 2014, rumors surfaced about a Las Vegas expansion team and a new indoor arena on the Strip, built as a joint venture between Anschutz Entertainment Group and MGM Resorts International.

November 2014: Report on Ownership Group Selection

In November 2014, an unconfirmed report stated that the NHL had selected Bill Foley and the Maloof family to lead the ownership group for a Las Vegas expansion team.

December 2014: NHL Board Allows Season Ticket Drive

In December 2014, the NHL's board of governors decided to allow Bill Foley to hold a season ticket drive to gauge interest in a Las Vegas team.

February 2015: Season Ticket Drive Launch

In February 2015, the season ticket drive began, with interested parties placing ten percent deposits for the 2016–17 season.

April 2015: Season Ticket Drive Goal Achieved

By April 2015, the season ticket drive reached its goal of 10,000 deposits.

June 2015: NHL Opens Expansion Bid Window

In June 2015, the NHL officially opened the window for prospective owners to bid on expansion teams, with Foley having secured over 13,200 season-ticket deposits.

August 2015: Las Vegas Invited to Phase II and III of Expansion Bid

In August 2015, both Las Vegas and Quebec were invited to move into Phase II of the league expansion bid, and later in the same month, both bids proceeded to Phase III.

June 22, 2016: Las Vegas Expansion Bid Approved

On June 22, 2016, the Las Vegas expansion bid was approved by a unanimous vote at the league owners' meeting in Las Vegas, with play to begin in the 2017–18 NHL season. Foley committed to pay the $500 million expansion fee.

November 22, 2016: Team Name Revealed

On November 22, 2016, the team name was revealed as the Vegas Golden Knights.

2016: Deposits for 2016-17 Season

Interested parties placed ten percent deposits for the 2016–17 season.

March 1, 2017: Team Completes Expansion Fee Payments

On March 1, 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights completed its expansion fee payments and filings, making it eligible to formally begin operations.

April 13, 2017: Gerard Gallant Announced as Head Coach

On April 13, 2017, Gerard Gallant was announced as the inaugural head coach for the Vegas Golden Knights.

May 16, 2017: Affiliation Agreement with Chicago Wolves

On May 16, 2017, the Golden Knights entered a multi-year affiliation agreement with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

June 20, 2017: Uniforms Unveiled

On June 20, 2017, the first uniforms in Golden Knights team history were unveiled. Home uniforms are steel gray, road uniforms are white.

June 21, 2017: NHL Expansion Draft

On June 21, 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights participated in the 2017 NHL expansion draft, selecting an available player from all 30 teams in the NHL. Notable selections included Marc-Andre Fleury and James Neal.

October 10, 2017: Inaugural Home Game and Winning Streak

On October 10, 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights played their inaugural home game at T-Mobile Arena, hosting the Arizona Coyotes. The Golden Knights increased their unbeaten streak to start the season to 3–0, an NHL record for an expansion team.

October 13, 2017: Mascot Unveiled

On October 13, 2017, the Golden Knights' mascot, a Gila monster named Chance, was unveiled at the team's second home game.

October 2017: Las Vegas Shooting

In October 2017, the Las Vegas shooting resulted in the death of 58 victims. This event led to the Vegas Golden Knights retiring the number 58 in their honor.

2017: Vegas Golden Knights Founded

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights were founded as an expansion team and became the first major sports franchise to represent Las Vegas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL).

2017: Franchise First Season

In 2017, the team became the first major professional sports franchise to be based in Las Vegas and the first NHL expansion team since 2000.

February 1, 2018: Expansion Team Record for Wins

On February 1, 2018, the Vegas Golden Knights set the expansion team record for wins in a debut season with 34 wins after only 50 games.

February 21, 2018: Record for Most Points by an Expansion Team

On February 21, 2018, the Vegas Golden Knights set a record for most points by an expansion team in the inaugural season with 84.

March 31, 2018: Number 58 retired

On March 31, 2018, the Vegas Golden Knights retired the number 58 in honor of the 58 victims killed in the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting.

May 6, 2018: Conference Semi-Finals win against San Jose Sharks

On May 6, 2018, the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the San Jose Sharks four-games-to-two, becoming the third team in NHL history to win multiple playoff series in their inaugural season, and advanced to the conference finals.

August 21, 2018: Affiliation agreement with Fort Wayne Komets

On August 21, 2018, the Golden Knights announced a one-year affiliation agreement with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL for the 2018–19 season.

2018: Stanley Cup Final Appearance

In 2018, during their inaugural season, the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final, marking one of the most successful expansion team runs in North American professional sports. They had 13 playoff wins.

2018: Rematch of the 2018 Conference Finals

In the 2023 playoffs, the Golden Knights faced the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, in a rematch of the 2018 conference finals.

2018: Acquisition of Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny

Prior to the 2018–19 season, the Golden Knights acquired winger Max Pacioretty from the Montreal Canadiens and signed free-agent center Paul Stastny.

May 2019: Front Office Modifications

In May 2019, Vegas modified their front-office staff, with the promotions of George McPhee from general manager to president of hockey operations and assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon to general manager.

December 2019: Acquisition of Chandler Stephenson

In early December 2019, the Vegas Golden Knights acquired center Chandler Stephenson from the Washington Capitals.

January 15, 2020: Peter DeBoer Replaces Gerard Gallant as Head Coach

On January 15, 2020, Peter DeBoer replaced Gerard Gallant as the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.

February 6, 2020: Sale of San Antonio Rampage franchise

On February 6, 2020, Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced the sale of the San Antonio Rampage franchise to the Golden Knights organization.

March 12, 2020: NHL Season Suspended Due to COVID-19

On March 12, 2020, the NHL regular season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 2, 2020: Gold Alternate Uniform Introduced

On October 2, 2020, the Golden Knights introduced a gold alternate uniform.

2020: Mark Stone Named Captain and Roster Overhaul

In 2020, Mark Stone was named the first captain in Vegas Golden Knights franchise history. Deryk Engelland retired and took a front-office role. Alex Pietrangelo signed a seven-year contract, while Paul Stastny was traded to Winnipeg and Nate Schmidt to Vancouver. The Golden Knights finished second in their division and lost to the Minnesota Wild in game seven of the first round of the playoffs.

2020: Rematch of the 2020 Series

In the 2023 playoffs, the conference finals saw a rematch of the 2020 series, as the Golden Knights faced the Dallas Stars once again.

2020: 2020 first-round pick Debut

The team faltered in the months afterward, with another rash of injuries between November and February resulting in the NHL debuts of Lukas Cormier, Mason Morelli, and 2020 first-round pick Brendan Brisson.

February 11, 2021: Gold Helmets Debut

On February 11, 2021, the Golden Knights debuted shiny gold helmets as an alternate to their home gray helmets.

2021: Trades and Injuries Plague the Season

In 2021, the Golden Knights acquired Nolan Patrick from the Philadelphia Flyers and Brett Howden from the New York Rangers, while trading Cody Glass and Ryan Reaves. Marc-Andre Fleury was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. Jack Eichel was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres. Due to a large number of injuries, the Golden Knights missed the playoffs.

May 19, 2022: Affiliation agreement with Savannah Ghost Pirates

On May 19, 2022, the Golden Knights announced a one-year affiliation agreement with the expansion Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL, through the 2022–23 season.

2022: Strong Start Followed by Inconsistencies

During the 2022 season, the Vegas Golden Knights started strong but slowed down in December and January before recovering.

2022: Regional Television Rightsholder Through 2022-23

From its inaugural season through 2022–23, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (ATTSN) was the regional television rightsholder for all Golden Knights games not broadcast exclusively by the NHL's national television partners.

2022: New Head Coach

In 2022, the Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach DeBoer and replaced him with Bruce Cassidy.

2022: Vegas Won the Cup Final

In 2023, Vegas won the Cup Final in five games, to win their first Stanley Cup championship. Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy.

2022: Gold Uniforms Become Primary

Starting with the 2022 season, the gold uniforms became the primary uniforms, while the gray uniforms became the alternate.

March 30, 2023: Golden Knights Clinch Playoff Berth

On March 30, 2023, the Vegas Golden Knights clinched a playoff berth.

May 2023: TV Agreement with E.W. Scripps Company

In May 2023, the Golden Knights announced an agreement with the E.W. Scripps Company to broadcast games on KMCC, and launched the KnightTime+ streaming service.

November 22, 2023: Official Unveiling of Winter Classic Uniforms

On November 22, 2023, was the official unveiling of the Golden Knights' Winter Classic uniforms.

2023: Extensions and Departures After Cup Win

In 2023, after winning the Stanley Cup, the Vegas Golden Knights agreed to extensions with Barbashev, Hill, and Brayden Pachal. Blueger, Brossoit, and Quick departed, and Reilly Smith was traded.

2023: Stanley Cup Championship

In 2023, the Vegas Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup championship, defeating the Florida Panthers in five games.

February 12, 2024: Alex Pietrangelo's 1,000th NHL Game

On February 12, 2024, the Vegas Golden Knights celebrated defenseman Alex Pietrangelo playing his 1,000th NHL game.

July 16, 2024: Affiliation agreement with Tahoe Knight Monsters

On July 16, 2024, the Golden Knights announced a multi-year affiliation agreement with the expansion Tahoe Knight Monsters of the ECHL, resulting in Nevada hosting both of the franchise's minor-league affiliates.