Golden Knights raise Cup banner, Vegas-style
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
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.”
The Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rick Tocchet as their next head coach, it was announced Wednesday.
The framework of the deal puts Tocchet among the highest-paid coaches in the NHL, sources told ESPN.
“I am very happy to welcome Rick Tocchet as our head coach,” general manager Daniel Briere said in a statement. “During this process it became clear that Rick was the absolute right coach to lead our team. He has enjoyed the highest level of success both as a player and coach.
“Rick’s ability to teach and understand his players, combined with his passion for winning, brings out the best in young players at different stages of their development and has earned the respect and confidence of highly talented All-Stars and veteran players alike.”
Tocchet, 61, is already in the Flyers Hall of Fame after spending parts of 11 seasons with the team during his 18-year playing career.
The Flyers still consider themselves in a rebuild phase after missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Philadelphia fired John Tortorella in March after philosophical differences emerged between the coach and the front office.
Brad Shaw served as interim coach for the remainder of the season, and the Flyers (33-39-10) finished tied for last place in the Eastern Conference.
“I’ve always been a Flyer at heart and have taken that passion and energy that embodies this city and organization with me throughout my career,” Tocchet said. “… I couldn’t be more excited to lead this team back among the NHL elite where we belong. We have a lot of work to do and much to accomplish, but I am confident in the direction we are heading and determined to get us there.”
Tocchet, who stepped down as coach of the Vancouver Canucks after the season as his three-year contract expired, was among the most desirable candidates in a crowded coaching market.
According to sources, Tocchet also spoke with the Seattle Kraken and the Anaheim Ducks, who never formally interviewed Tocchet before hiring Joel Quenneville last week. The Boston Bruins also had Tocchet high on their list.
“What is impressive about Rick is that players gravitate towards him and develop a strong relationship in the process,” team president Keith Jones said in a statement. “There is a genuine trust that he will do everything he can to bring success to the team.”
Tocchet was also considering a return to television next season, sources told ESPN, after he served as a regular on TNT’s coverage before joining the Canucks. He has also appeared on the network’s coverage during the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Tocchet left Vancouver just one year removed from winning the Jack Adams Award. The Canucks, after a season of turmoil that included the trade of center J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers, missed the playoffs by six points.
Tocchet, who replaced Bruce Boudreau as Canucks coach in January 2023, had previous head coaching stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes. His career NHL coaching record is 286-265-87 in the regular season and 11-11 in the playoffs.
Tocchet, who also played for the Coyotes, becomes the 14th individual to have played for/coached multiple teams in NHL history, according to ESPN Research. That list also includes Craig Berube, who played for/coached the Flyers and now the Maple Leafs, and Jim Montgomery, who played for/coached the Stars and now the Blues.
HERNING, Denmark — Tage Thompson completed his hat trick with a power-play goal in overtime to give the United States a 6-5 win over Norway after the Americans squandered a four-goal lead at the ice hockey world championship on Wednesday.
Norway forced overtime when defenseman Stian Solberg scored with 1:27 left in regulation, as the Anaheim Ducks prospect completed a hat trick of his own.
Thompson, a Buffalo Sabres center, scored the winner 4:09 into overtime for the U.S., which has eight points in Group B while Norway earns its first point.
“We did some good things and it was obviously great to get the win,” U.S. head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We’ll build on this as we get set to take on a very good Germany team on Saturday.”
For the Americans, captain Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists, and Cutter Gauthier and Michael McCarron added a goal each for the U.S. to rebound from a loss to Switzerland.
Gauthier put the U.S. 1-0 ahead 4:50 into the game before Keller hit the top corner of the net to double the lead 7:18 into the frame.
Gauthier is tied with Canada forward Bo Horvat atop the goal scoring table with four goals.
Solberg reduced the deficit to 2-1 on the power play before Thompson and McCarron completed the four-goal period for the U.S.
Thompson added his second 2:55 into the middle period for a 5-1 lead.
Norway was not done, though.
Solberg had his second goal on a power play for Norway to trail 5-2 and Martin Ronnild added another one on a breakaway still in the frame.
Midway through the third, Noah Steen made it a one-goal game before Norway pulled its goalie for an extra attacker — and Solberg scored to make it 5-5.
“It was an important game for us and taking a point was huge,” Solberg said. “I am happy for the team and happy for myself.”
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had an assist for the U.S. in his first game at the worlds. He arrived Monday but his equipment was delayed and he couldn’t play in the 3-0 loss to Switzerland that day.
Werenski is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy given to the NHL’s top defenseman.
In Stockholm, Slovakia beat France 2-1 for its second win. France remains on one point.
Sweden faces Latvia later in the day in Stockholm while Denmark plays Kazakhstan in Herning.
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Greg Wyshynski
The Vancouver Canucks have named Adam Foote as their new head coach, the team announced Wednesday.
Foote, 53, had served as an assistant coach under head coach Rick Tocchet for the last three seasons. His only previous head coaching experience was one season behind the bench of the WHL Kelowna Rockets, going 29-28-6 in 63 games in 2019-20.
He’s the 22nd head coach in franchise history. TSN reported that Foote agreed to a three-year deal.
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the team has hired Adam Foote as the 22nd Head Coach in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/dJTDh8XoHb
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 14, 2025
Tocchet stepped down after his three-year contract expired at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Vancouver opted not to exercise its contract option on Tocchet, having instead offered him a large extension. Team president Jim Rutherford said that the Canucks “did everything in our power” to retain Tocchet but that “he may have his mind somewhere else.”
Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Tocchet will be the next head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, with whom he played for 11 seasons.
Foote won two Stanley Cups as a player with the Colorado Avalanche (1996 and 2001) and was considered one of the NHL’s premier defensive defensemen during his 19-season career. Foote also played for the Quebec Nordiques before the franchise moved to Colorado and for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“His past experiences on the ice have translated nicely into a coaching style that fits our organization’s goals and vision. He has worked extremely hard the past few years, gaining our players’ respect and trust for his strong communication and honest, straightforward opinion. He knows this group better than anyone else we interviewed and has inside knowledge and understanding of what it will take to get us back to where we want to be,” Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said.
Foote wasn’t the only internal candidate interviewed for the Vancouver head coaching job. AHL Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra was also under consideration.
Foote takes over a Canucks team that failed to make the playoffs after advancing to the second round in 2023-24. Vancouver has made the postseason only twice in the past 10 NHL seasons. The Canucks face a series of questions heading into next season, from the fate of free agent winger Brock Boeser to how to get 26-year-old star center Elias Pettersson back on track offensively. But the hiring of Foote might serve to address another one of the team’s uncertainties: the fate of captain Quinn Hughes.
The defenseman is signed through the 2026-27 season, but Rutherford recently sparked speculation that Hughes might seek to eventually leave Vancouver to play with brothers Jack and Luke, who are currently with the New Jersey Devils.
“He’s said before he wants to play with his brothers, and that would be partly out of our control,” Rutherford said.
Foote spent the past two seasons working with the team’s defensemen. They were the two best seasons of Quinn Hughes’ NHL career, with him winning the Norris Trophy in 2023-24 and being a finalist for the award again this season. Now, the man who got the best out of the captain is sticking around as the team’s new head coach.
Cal Foote, son of Adam Foote, is one of five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior championships team facing sexual assault charges from an incident in a London, Ontario, hotel room. The trial is ongoing. All five players have pleaded not guilty.
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