Vegas Golden Knights

Plenty of professional athletes have been kicked out of hotels, but the Vegas Golden Knights might have the best excuse for scrambling to book accommodations.

While in San Jose for two games against the Sharks, the Knights were abruptly left without a place to stay when the Fairmont Hotel filed for bankruptcy. According to the Mercury News (via ESPN), the landmark building closed because of financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It expects to reopen in two or three months.

"It was a surreal experience," Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer told the Las Vegas Sun's Justin Emerson. "Hopefully this is the end of the COVID year, but it was almost the topping on the cake for what the last year has been for everybody in the world. Just another thing thrown at you, another thing to deal with."

The Knights had to quickly pack up and leave following a 5-4 overtime victory Friday night.

But the problem will extend beyond Vegas, as ESPN noted, because of the Fairmont's status as the NHL's lodging option for visiting opponents. The St. Louis Blues were expected to check in Monday, but at least they'll have a bit more time to alter their plans than the Golden Knights did.

The Vegas Golden Knights announced that general manager Kelly McCrimmon would coach the team for Tuesday's game vs. the St. Louis Blues with the coaching staff "self-isolating ... due to COVID-19 protocols."

The Knights added that members of the Henderson Silver Knights' coaching staff—Las Vegas' AHL affiliate—would assist McCrimmon.

The Golden Knights have started the season out 5-1 as they seek to reach the postseason this year for the fourth time in as many years. Since reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in their maiden season of 2017-18, the organization has never missed the postseason. 

McCrimmon, 60, has experience as a head coach, holding the position for the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings from in three separate stints (1990-1992, 2004-2011, 2013-2016). He was also the team's sole owner from 2000-2020 and also held the role of general manager for the team. 

He's served as the Golden Knights' general manager since May 2019. He first joined the team in Aug. 2016 as an assistant general manager.

The Golden Knights face the Blues (3-2-1) again on Thursday evening. It's unclear if McCrimmon will have to reprise his role as head coach for that contest as well. 

The Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly have succeeded in landing free-agent defenseman Alex Pietrangelo with a seven-year contract worth $8.8 million annually, according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedma reported the 30-year-old will have a full no-movement clause in the contract.

Pietrangelo spent the past 12 seasons with the St. Louis Blues. He finished the 2019-20 season with 16 goals and 36 assists in 70 games.

On the first official day of free agency, the Blues announced Friday they had struck a deal with Torey Krug on a seven-year, $45.5 million contract, effectively ending Pietrangelo's run in St. Louis. The Blues captain for the last four seasons, Pietrangelo said Saturday that the Krug signing "caught me off guard," per The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

Rutherford reported the Blues were willing to pay Pietrangelo $64 million but over eight years. The no-movement clause may have been a pivotal factor as well.

The Golden Knights emerged as his likely landing spot, and the Canadian took a formal visit to Las Vegas during negotiations.

The Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final during their inaugural 2017-18 season and also made the Western Conference Finals in 2020. Vegas clearly has a wide-open window for contention. Signing the best defenseman on the market was a straightforward proposal.

Of course, there's always going to be a level of risk when you sign a player who is at the onset of his 30s to a seven-year deal.

While not a perfect comparison, the Golden Knights painted themselves into a corner when they handed a then-33-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury to a three-year, $21 million extension. Offloading Fleury now that Robin Lehner is the starting goaltender is easier said than done.

Should Pietrangelo help Vegas lift the Stanley Cup once during the life of his contract, he will have paid back the team's investment and then some.

Allan Walsh, the agent for Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, deleted a tweet in which Fleury was shown being stabbed in the back with a sword, which was emblazoned with the name of Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer.  

Fleury discussed the matter Sunday in a news conference, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski:

"Regarding that picture that came up, Allan's been my agent for a long time. I've known him since I was 15. We're always very close. We always talk about hockey or other things in life. He always protects and cares a lot about his players, and cares a lot about me also. I really appreciate his passion for the game. I think this was maybe a way to defend me in this situation. But I'm here to win with my team. To have success. That's what matters."

Fleury added that he had spoken with DeBoer and general manager Kelly McCrimmon after the image was posted.

"It was good to talk, see where we're at," he said. "I don't like being a distraction for my team."

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday night about the meeting and added that all parties appeared ready to move on.

However, the tenor of the tweet in question reflects how Fleury's status on the Golden Knights might have changed significantly since he announced his three-year extension in July 2018.

The 35-year-old had a somewhat disappointing regular season. His save percentage (.905) was his lowest since 2009-10, and his goals against average (2.77) increased for the second straight season.

When Vegas acquired Robin Lehner in February, it looked like the team was consolidating its goaltender depth rather than attempting to find a direct replacement for Fleury. Instead, Lehner has started six of eight games for the Golden Knights during the NHL's modified playoff format.

One obvious question is how much Walsh's sentiment aligned with that of his client. According to Wyshynski, reporters asked Fleury twice whether he knew Walsh would post the photo, and twice Fleury declined to answer.

The pursuit of a Stanley Cup is almost assuredly enough to put this on the backburner for the time being.

Fleury is signed through the 2021-22 season, though, with Lehner hitting free agency. Were Vegas to make a long-term commitment to the latter, it could raise doubt about the former's status as the Golden Knights' No. 1 netminder going forward, thus putting Fleury in a difficult position with two years to run on his deal.

Real estate company Taylor Morrison is creating a 30-street community in Nevada that will pay tribute to the 2017-18 Vegas Golden Knights, who reached the NHL Stanley Cup Final during their inaugural season, by basing street names on those of players, coaches and executives.

Jesse Granger of The Athletic reported Friday the community, Palmer Ranch, which will be located in the north end of the Las Vegas Valley, is in the "early stages" of development based on construction and planning documents filed by the company.

Taylor Morrison division president James Gomez confirmed the plan to The Athletic:

"We wanted to capitalize on all the excitement that the Golden Knights bring to the city, and especially in northern Las Vegas. The community has been such an integral part of our growth and so supportive of our opening. The idea to name the streets after players' names has created quite a buzz and we've already had a lot of interest from different prospects on what street they will buy on, based on their favorite players."

Golden Knights Way will serve as the community's main street, and the development, which is set for a soft opening in June, is going to feature 405 homes, per Granger. The baseline construction is currently taking place, and the homes could be built starting in late June.

"It's our first Taylor Morrison product in Las Vegas, and we couldn't think of a more fitting way to honor the city," Gomez said.

Here's a look at some of the street names under development, per Granger:

• George McPhee Road
• Gerard Gallant Street
• Marc-Andre Fleury Road
• William Karlsson Street
• Marchessault Road

The houses are expected to have listing prices in the "high $200,000s."

The Vegas Golden Knights announced on Wednesday they have fired head coach Gerard Gallant and assistant Mike Kelly after a 24-19-6 start to the season.

"In order for our team to reach its full potential, we determined a coaching change was necessary. Our team is capable of more than we have demonstrated this season," general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement.

The team has named Peter DeBoer its new head coach, and he will join the team Thursday.

Gallant had been the Golden Knights' only coach since the franchise's inception three years ago and led the squad to a surprising trip to the Stanley Cup Final in the inaugural 2017-18 season.

The squad reached the playoffs again in 2018-19 after finishing third in the Pacific Division but suffered a first-round loss, while the team is now in a fight to just reach the postseason.

Vegas is tied for the second and last wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 54 points, but it has played two more games than division rival Vancouver Canucks and the Central Division's Winnipeg Jets. Four losses in a row also shows the team isn't trending in the right direction heading into the All-Star Weekend, which is Jan. 24-26.

Though he won the Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year in 2017-18, Gallant hasn't made it past three seasons at any of his three coaching stops (Columbus and Florida).

The Golden Knights will now try to turn around the season under DeBoer, who was fired as head coach of the San Jose Sharks in December.

The 51-year-old has spent parts of eight seasons as an NHL head coach, leading the Sharks, New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers. He owns a 415-329-111 career record and has led two different teams to the Stanley Cup Final.

"In Peter DeBoer, we have a proven, experienced head coach who we believe can help us achieve our ultimate goal," McCrimmon said.

Despite this being a midseason hire, DeBoer is expected to remain at the helm beyond this season.

The NHL announced Thursday that Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov has been suspended 20 games without pay for violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing substances. 

Zykov, 24, is in the midst of his second season with the Knights. After posting two goals in 10 games for Vegas during the 2018-19 season, he has two assists while appearing in all seven games so far this season.

The Russian winger was originally a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013 NHL draft.

Although Zykov is in the midst of his fourth NHL season, he has played sparingly during his career. Zykov played a total of 12 games in his first two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and then split 28 games between the Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers and Golden Knights last season.

He finished with just two goals and three assists for five points last season, and his most productive campaign to date was 2017-18 when he racked up three goals and four assists in 10 contests for the Canes.

With a strong group of forwards including Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Paul Stastny leading the way for Vegas, Zykov has played a complementary role on the third and fourth lines.

The Golden Knights' forward depth will take a hit with Zykov out, but it could give Brandon Pirri an opportunity to establish himself as a full-time player.

Pirri scored a career-high 22 goals for the Florida Panthers in 2014-15 in just 49 games, but he has been in and out of the lineup for the Golden Knights over the past three seasons.

After posting 12 goals and 18 points in 31 games for Vegas last season, it stands to reason that Pirri could add some more offensive punch to the lineup for the 4-3 Golden Knights.

The Vegas Golden Knights announced Monday that they agreed to an eight-year, $47.2 million contract extension with forward William Karlsson.

Karlsson, a 26-year-old native of Sweden, has played a significant role in the Golden Knights reaching the playoffs in each of their first two years of existence.

Last season, he registered 24 goals and 32 assists in 82 regular-season games, and he added two goals and three assists in seven playoff contests.

For as productive as Karlsson was during the 2018-19 campaign, it actually represented a drop-off. During the Golden Knights' inaugural season, he racked up 43 goals and 35 assists in 82 games, and his plus-49 rating led the NHL. He also put up 15 points in 20 playoff games, as Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final during its inaugural season.

Jesse Granger of The Athletic believes that both Karlsson and the Golden Knights will benefit from the new contract:

Meanwhile, Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun feels the Golden Knights got a bargain by signing Karlsson to a deal that will pay him $5.9 million annually:

It is difficult to argue with that logic given some of the contracts that have been handed out recently.

The Buffalo Sabres signed 27-year-old winger Jeff Skinner to an eight-year, $72 million deal earlier this month on the heels of him netting 40 goals in a season for the first time in his career. He also matched his career high in points with 63, which is 15 fewer than Karlsson recorded two seasons ago.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed forward Kevin Hayes to a seven-year, $50 million contract last week. Hayes has never scored more than 25 goals in a season, and the 27-year-old set a career high with 55 points last season.

Given Karlsson's mix of youth, goal-scoring ability and defensive acumen, the Golden Knights did well to sign a complete player to such a team-friendly contract.

He was an absolute steal in the expansion draft, and he will have an opportunity to continue developing. Along with Karlsson, many of the Golden Knights' other key players are under contract for the next three or more seasons, including forwards Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and Alex Tuch; defensemen Nate Schmidt, Shea Theodore and Colin Miller; and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

With that type of continuity, the Golden Knights should be a perennial contender in the Western Conference.

The Vegas Golden Knights presented Pope Francis with a custom hockey jersey Friday.

The NHL team showcased the Pope's excitement:

Pope Francis has expressed support for the unifying nature of sports since taking over as the head of the Catholic Church in 2013.

Last June, the Argentina native wrote a letter about sports to the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life in which he noted athletics is a "meeting place where people of all levels and social conditions come together to reach a common aim":

"In a culture dominated by individualism and the gap between the younger generations and the elderly, sports is a privileged area around which people meet without any distinction of race, sex, religion, or ideology, and where we can experience the joy of competing to reach a goal together, participating in a team, where success or defeat is shared and overcome; this helps us to reject the idea of conquering an objective by focusing only on ourselves. The need for others includes not only teammates but also managers, coaches, supporters, the family; in short, all those people who, with commitment and dedication, make it possible to 'give the best of oneself.'"

The Golden Knights are a bit late if they were hoping for divine intervention. In their inaugural season last year, they made a remarkable run to reach the Stanley Cup Final, but they fell to the Washington Capitals in five games.

Vegas does boast one of the NHL's best jerseys, however, and now the Pope is a proud owner of one.