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LAS VEGAS — The day it was announced Las Vegas was getting an NHL team. The way that team became a symbol of a city that was in pain before the Golden Knights even played a game. The big trades that saw them get the stars who have built their win-at-all-costs mentality.

Moments such as these have defined the Vegas Golden Knights. And with Tuesday marking the sixth anniversary of their first game, those events were instrumental when they raised their first Stanley Cup banner before taking a 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Arena.

“It was cool seeing the banner go up,” Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill said. “I hadn’t seen a banner with that much detail before. It was pretty cool to see it go up but we know what we did last year, and we were ready to go tonight.”

Like so many Golden Knights games, the ceremony began with the team leaning into its medieval theme. The videoboard displayed pictures of the team winning the Stanley Cup that were made to look like something from an epic fantasy, complete with narration suitable for a Shakespearean play.

Then came Lee Orchard, who plays the role of the “Golden Knight,” skating onto the ice and donning his golden armor before placing his sword in a stone at center ice.

From there, the arena’s collective attention returned to the videoboard, where fans watched the history of the Golden Knights through video clips. It started with the board of governors meeting when it was announced Las Vegas would get a team, followed by clips of the expansion draft.

The video then went to the numerous memorials that were displayed around Las Vegas from the Route 91 Harvest music festival shooting that occurred Oct. 1, 2017. The Golden Knights honored the victims and first responders before their first home game nine days later. Tuesday’s video featured excerpts from the emotional speech delivered that evening by former Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland, who said, “We’ll do anything we can to help you and our city heal.”

The video continued by showing the day the team named Mark Stone captain followed by players the Golden Knights either signed or acquired in a trade, including Jack Eichel. It showed a clip from coach Bruce Cassidy’s introductory news conference and a series of goals from last season.

While the video then started playing highlights from the Stanley Cup playoff run, on-ice crew members rolled out the banner box — a slot machine.

“I had a feeling the three Cups were coming,” Eichel said. “It’s Vegas so it’s to theme. I loved it. It was great.”

After the video ended, the team took the ice, with Stone being the last to join as he hoisted the Stanley Cup over his shoulders while skating around the rink. He then set the Cup on a table next to the slot machine and pulled the lever.

Three Stanley Cup icons were displayed on the three LCD screens, and the banner slowly came out of the box and was raised high enough for the crowd to see.

Once the Golden Knights took a team photo in front of the banner, it was raised to the rafters. The booming speakers of the public address system played “Shot at the Night” by famed Las Vegas natives The Killers as the banner made its way to the rafters.

Many of the Golden Knights looked longingly at the banner, and a few appeared to get emotional before the ceremony ended with a chant of “Go Knights Go” by the sellout crowd.

“We had our ring dinner a few nights ago and went to the Raiders last night,” Eichel said. “There’s a lot of things going on in your life and you’re trying to enjoy what we accomplished but prepare for a season, so, you try to balance both. It’s an amazing experience to watch a banner go up and you want to enjoy every moment. But in the back of your mind, you’re preparing for a game as well.”

How the Golden Knights would celebrate the most significant moment in their history had been surrounded by curiosity. The team’s entertainment staff instantly made T-Mobile Arena one of the most unique venues in the league by living up to the expectations that come with being in Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights have developed trademark touches such as Orchard skating around in golden armor, the Golden Belles showgirls team and the Knight Line — the team’s drum line — having one of its members rappel down from the rafters and onto the ice while still drumming.

Andrew Abrams, who is the Golden Knights’ vice president and executive producer for their entertainment team, said meeting those demands was “both hard and easy” when it came to what they would do for the banner-raising ceremony.

“We always try to sort of one-up ourselves, and the expectation is that it can’t be another hockey team doing another banner raising,” Abrams said. “But it was easy, because some of the elements that we chose, we actually had ideas for back in the playoffs before we could even talk about a banner ceremony.”

Tyler Ferraro, who is the Golden Knights’ senior manager of entertainment experience, said they wanted to make the ceremony about the team. Instead of solely tapping into those familiar trademarks, they wished to create what Ferraro described as a love letter from the team to the city.

It’s why they wanted to have items such as the slot machine banner box — something that was kept secret, with only a few select people in the organization knowing about it.

“We wanted to have a few things that when people looked at it, they said, ‘Yeah, that’s Vegas,'” Abrams said.

Reaching that conclusion also meant watching what other teams did in the NHL, along with other leagues, before confirming the direction the Golden Knights wanted to take.

Last year, the Colorado Avalanche had Blink-182 bassist and singer Mark Hoppus lead the crowd in singing “All the Small Things” — the 2000 hit song that eventually morphed into the team’s anthem, with fans continuing to sing well after the song stopped playing over the arena’s public address system.

Abrams said the Golden Knights’ entertainment team thought about different ideas such as possibly bringing in a musical act. But factors such as time restraints led to it keeping the focus on ceremony.

“Because we are such a young team, throughout the last six years, you can pinpoint specific points in our timeline of how this led to our championship,” Ferraro said. “Or how this trade fed into this thing that gave us the Stanley Cup.”

Another element the entertainment team worked with was when owner Bill Foley issued the famed “Cup in Six” edict in which he claimed the club would win a Stanley Cup in six seasons.

“It feels like a really beautiful endcap to our first Golden Knights saga,” Ferraro said. “We’re able to close a chapter on that, literally and figuratively, and we start focusing on the future, but that was a fun creative twist, as well.”

Even though the Golden Knights had months to work on creating what they deemed to be the perfect ceremony, they had a rather limited window to rehearse at T-Mobile Arena. The arena hosted Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers played a preseason game, which further heightened the need to make the most out of rehearsals.

Abrams said the first time they rehearsed the show was Oct. 4. The first rehearsal allowed them to see how the show looked in segments, but they didn’t have enough time to see how the whole ceremony would look start to finish.

Two days later, they were able to get back into T-Mobile because of an unforeseen opening in the schedule, which allowed them to rehearse four or five times.

“We walked out of there in a really good spot,” Abrams said. “A two-day rehearsal is not normal, but the important thing is we got as many reps as physically possible.”

Having a nostalgic ceremony also allowed a former Golden Knights player to look back, with Kraken forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare talking about his time with the team. Bellemare, who spoke after morning skate, was one of the original Golden Knights who helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final that they lost to the Washington Capitals.

“You’re kind of proud, first of all, to be able to have the honor to be part of [that first team in franchise history],” Bellemare said. “Second of all, for the people of Vegas, you’re happy for everyone who is able to celebrate that.”

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2025 Melbourne Cup Field – complete guide

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2025 Melbourne Cup Field - complete guide

Spring has sprung, and the air is warm and thick with the scent of the Flemington roses. It is the first Tuesday in November, which means it is time to run the Melbourne Cup around the famous 3200 metre course.

We have all the details you need to pick a winner in the big one.

TAB fixed odds correct as of 8pm AEDT, 2nd November, 2025 (please visit tab.com.au for the latest).


1. AL RIFFA – TAB Odds:

$9 Form: 10x3x42211 Career: 17: 5-6-1
Career Win%: 29 Place%: 71

This raider has been in good form in Ireland, but saddles up for the Cup untested in Australian conditions. Expertly trained, with form jockey Mark Zahra aboard it is expected to be one of the chances, but I’ve seen this movie before.


2. BUCKAROO (GB) – TAB Odds:

$9 Form: 9x970x3232 Career: 31: 5-6-6
Career Win%: 16 Place%: 55

Last start it finished a nose second in the Cox Plate over the 2040 metres at Moonee Valley and before that finished second last in the Caulfield Stakes. With Craig Williams aboard, this is one of the threats, although it only managed ninth last year.


3. ARAPAHO – TAB Odds:

$51 Form: 5241×36408 Career: 49: 10-6-4
Career Win%: 20 Place%: 41

Last start it finished eighth in the Bendigo Cup and before that 15th in The Metrop at Randwick. Its only redeeming statistic is that it has won previously over this distance. Wouldn’t mind a bit of rain.


4. VAUBAN – TAB Odds:

$26 Form: 0x130x3650 Career: 32: 11-5-4
Career Win%: 34 Place%: 63

Finished 13th in the Caulfield Cup last start after being fifth in The Metrop at Randwick over 2400 metres. Has Blake Shinn aboard and jumps from gate No. 2, but we’ve already seen it flop twice in the Cup, finishing 11th last year.


5. CHEVALIER ROSE – TAB Odds:

$31 Form: x11x070x0x Career: 35: 5-5-2
Career Win%: 14 Place%: 34

This Japanese raider brings with it some dodgy form and climbs straight off the plane after a spell, expecting to compete in the Melbourne Cup. At its very best, on a dry track, it could well be expected to complete the course.


6. PRESAGE NOCTURNE – TAB Odds:

$8.50 Form: 71x4x13x34 Career: 18: 6-5-3
Career Win%:
33 Place%: 78

One of the favourites to win, it looked very promising in finishing fourth in the Caulfield Cup. Its overseas form suggests that it will eat up the 3200 metres. Should be there or there abouts and proving a nightmare for the race callers.


7. MIDDLE EARTH – TAB Odds:

$41 Form: x159x50903 Career: 18: 5-3-2
Career Win%: 28 Place%: 56

Finished third in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley over 2040 metres last start and before that was 11th in the Caulfield Cup. A query at the Cup distance, all you Lord of the Rings fans should probably just save your money.


8. MEYDAAN – TAB Odds:

$17 Form: 7×52005239 Career: 17: 3-2-2
Career Win%:
18 Place%: 41

This lightly-raced son of Frankel finished ninth in the Caulfield Cup. It has been drawn wide in barrier 22, but with master jockey James McDonald on board, should be given every chance to finish in the running.


9. ABSURDE – TAB Odds:

$23 Form: x33132x3x7 Career: 29: 7-7-6
Career Win%: 24 Place%: 69

Going around Flemington again, wearing the same number as last year, but hoping for a slightly better result than fifth. Last start it ran seventh in the Caulfield Cup, resuming after a spell. We know it can stay, and could be there at the finish.


10. FLATTEN THE CURVE – TAB Odds: $21 Form: 1x1144111x Career: 54: 11-10-5
Career Win%: 20 Place%: 48

This French raider was at least in winning form before journeying to Australia. Still, it would have been nice to see it run somewhere other than the Werribee quarantine station. Carries the brilliantly named German jockey, Thore Hammer-Hansen.


11. LAND LEGEND – TAB Odds: $61 Form: x768x39500 Career: 24: 4-2-2
Career Win%: 17 Place%: 33

Last up it beat nothing home in the Caulfield Cup and before that finished last in the Turnbull. If consistency is your thing, than this horse is for you, remembering that Knight’s Choice was in awful form last year and still won.


12. SMOKIN’ ROMANS – TAB Odds:

$61 Form: 0310×72948 Career: 53: 11-9-3
Career Win%: 21 Place%: 43

Last start it finished eighth in the Moonee Valley Cup and before that fourth in the Herbert Power over 2400 metres at Caulfield. The 9-year-old is expected to struggle over the 3200 metres. Ben Melham will likely watch his wife disappear into the distance.


13. CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD – TAB Odds:

$61 Form: 2×82106 Career: 18: 4-3-3
Career Win%:
22 Place%: 56

Last start it plodded home in sixth place in the Geelong Cup, before that it finished last in The Metrop at Randwick. One to put your money on if you enjoy phrases being turned into a single word, it has little else going for it.


14. HALF YOURS – TAB Odds:

$7 Form: F211215141 Career: 15: 7-3-0
Career Win%:
47 Place%: 57

The Caulfield Cup winner is the early favourite to win this year’s Melbourne Cup. Jamie Melham became the first woman to ride the winner of a Caulfield Cup and she will be keen to collect the double and marital bragging rights.


15. MORE FELONS – TAB Odds:

$41 Form: 50x12x0944 Career: 24: 6-3-0
Career Win%: 2
5 Place%: 28

Last start it ran fourth in the St Leger at Randwick over 2600 metres, and before that finished fourth again in The Metrop at the same track. Could be out of its class in the Melbourne Cup, but should enjoy the run.


16. ONESMOOTHOPERATOR – TAB Odds:

$23 Form: 5x840x1 Career: 51: 6-11-7
Career Win%: 12 Place%: 47

Won the Moonee Valley Cup last start over 2500 metres, and was well-backed to win this race last year before finishing 12th. It doesn’t seem to enjoy winning too often, but could surprise and finish near the pointy end.


17. FURTHUR – TAB Odds:

$23 Form: 72×152516 Career: 8: 2-2-0
Career Win%:
25 Place%: 50

This lightly-raced Irish stayer will climb into the barriers to have its first ever race start in Australia, on the back of a 52-day spell. I’m no trainer, but every year we see imports come here untried and go home disappointed.


18. PARCHMENT PARTY – TAB Odds:

$51 Form: 922331111x Career: 22: 8-2-2
Career Win%: 36 Place%: 55

This lightly-raced US stayer is also trying its luck in the Melbourne Cup without a previous start in Australia. It brings with it an added issue, back home it was only winning on the dirt tracks. It will need a very severe drought before the start.


19. ATHABASCAN – TAB Odds: $81 Form: 82959×0002 Career: 39: 4-6-4
Career Win%:
10 Place%: 36

Ran second in the Moonee Valley Cup over 2500 metres last start behind Onesmoothoperator. In the start before that, it was disappointing in The Metrop at Randwick. The connections should make the most of the big day.


20. GOODY TWO SHOES – TAB Odds:

$41 Form: 331111113x Career: 26: 13-0-7
Career Win%: 50 Place%: 77

This Irish former hurdler has an incredible strike rate, but once again comes to Australia for its very first start in our toughest race, on the back of a 94-day spell. This preparation might surprise, but it will take a very special horse.


21. RIVER OF STARS – TAB Odds:

$17 Form: 42x73x7802 Career: 22: 4-6-5
Career Win%: 18 Place%: 68

Ran second in the Caulfield Cup last start, only half a length behind the winner. Before that it was disappointing in the Turnbull over 2000 metres. Should handle the extra distance and could surprise at a good price.


22. ROYAL SUPREMACY – TAB Odds:

$34 Form: 32×0011215 Career: 17: 6-4-3
Career Win%:
33 Place%: 76

Ran fifth in the Caulfield Cup, just two and half lengths behind the winner. Before that it won The Metrop at Randwick over 2400 metres. There are some doubts about it being able to run the 3200 metres.


23. TORRANZINO – TAB Odds:

$34 Form: 4212×80821 Career: 33: 6-7-2
Career Win%:
18 Place%: 45

Won the Geelong Cup last start, which is generally a very good form-line race. Before Geelong, it ran second in the Bart Cummings at Flemington. Lightly weighted, it would probably prefer a bit of rain on the big day.


24. VALIANT KING

– TAB Odds: $8 Form: 0x0693x013 Career: 20: 2-4-2
Career Win%: 10 Place%: 40

We often see good performances out of the lightly-weighted horses and Valiant King looks set to continue that tradition. Stormed home from the back of the field to finish third in the Caulfield Cup, it should at least be in your trifectas.


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Bruins say Lindholm to be sidelined a few weeks

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Bruins say Lindholm to be sidelined a few weeks

BOSTON — Bruins center Elias Lindholm will miss at least a few weeks because of a lower-body injury, coach Marco Sturm said Friday.

Lindholm was helped off the ice after a collision with Buffalo‘s Jordan Greenway in the Bruins’ 4-3 overtime victory Thursday. Lindholm, 30, has nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 13 games.

Marat Khusnutdinov, who scored the overtime winner against the Sabres, is set to center Boston’s top line against Carolina on Saturday. The Russian is in his first full season with Boston. He has a goal and an assist in eight games.

The Bruins also will be without defenseman Jordan Harris for at least two months after a procedure to repair a right ankle fracture. Harris was injured in a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday.

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Devils, goalie Markstrom agree to 2-year extension

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Devils, goalie Markstrom agree to 2-year extension

The New Jersey Devils agreed to a two-year extension with goalie Jacob Markstrom on Friday, with an average annual value of $6 million.

Markstrom, 35, was entering the final year of his contract, which had the same cap hit. This move helps the Devils lock in a three-year window in which they believe their group can contend.

The Swedish-born goaltender was a massive acquisition for the Devils in June 2024 as New Jersey traded defenseman Kevin Bahl and a first-round pick to the Calgary Flames to secure its new franchise backstop and stabilize the team.

The Devils’ brain trust, including general manager Tom Fitzgerald and executive vice president of hockey operations Martin Brodeur, has loved having Markstrom in the organization. Markstrom, a big but agile goaltender at 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, has also formed a strong bond with goaltending partner Jake Allen.

The Devils are 8-3-0 before Saturday’s road game against the Los Angeles Kings. Markstrom hasn’t been his strongest, going 2-2-0 with a 5.13 goals-against average and an .830 save percentage in four appearances. He has also been sidelined briefly by injury.

However, the Devils are banking on his body of work, including his spectacular play in last year’s first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Markstrom posted a .911 save percentage, but New Jersey, which was severely hobbled by injuries, lost to Carolina in five games.

Markstrom has finished top five in Vezina Trophy voting twice in his career and has gone 28-18-6 in the past year-plus with the Devils, including a 2.67 GAA and four shutouts in 53 games. A 2008 second-round pick of Florida, Markstrom has appeared in 538 games with the Panthers, Canucks, Flames and Devils. He has a .908 career save percentage.

The Devils sought a shorter-term deal but also wanted to capitalize on a thin goaltending market. Allen, also 35, is signed through 2030.

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