Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights have reached the playoffs in both years of the franchise's existence, and now they are promoting from within for the general manager position.

On Thursday, the team announced Kelly McCrimmon will be the new general manager starting on Sept. 1 after he was named assistant GM in 2016. The announcement noted McCrimmon will report to president of hockey operations and current general manager George McPhee, who will remain in his hockey operations role.

"Kelly has been a tremendous addition to our hockey operations group and the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization as a whole," McPhee said. "His character, leadership, hockey acumen, and player evaluation at both the pro and amateur levels is exceptional. We are confident Kelly will thrive in this new role. We will continue to build a team and a franchise that our fans are proud to support."

Bob McKenzie of TSN noted this move means McCrimmon is no longer "in the mix" for the Edmonton Oilers' GM position.

The team's announcement is validation of McCrimmon's importance during the Golden Knights' preparation for the 2017 expansion draft and inaugural entry draft. Vegas built an impressive roster and reached the Stanley Cup Final in its first year of existence and remained a force in the Western Conference during the 2018-19 season.

"Working with the Golden Knights has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I am very grateful for this new opportunity," McCrimmon said. "We are proud of the foundation we have built and are excited for the future."

McCrimmon was the owner, general manager and head coach of the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings before he joined the Golden Knights.

As for the Oilers, TSN's Darren Dreger suggested Mark Hunter, Sean Burke or Keith Gretzky could be candidates for the GM position. He also said the trio could all be hired in some capacity as a general manager with two assistants.

While the Oilers have one of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid, they have made the playoffs just once since they lost the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

The Vegas Golden Knights' defense of their 2018 Western Conference title ended in disappointment Tuesday, and Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault believes the officials are to blame.

With Vegas leading the San Jose Sharks 3-0 during the third period of Game 7 of their first-round playoff series, Cody Eakin was called for a five-minute cross-checking major after contacting Sharks star Joe Pavelski, who then hit the ice and began bleeding:

That spurred a massive comeback for San Jose, who scored four consecutive power-play goals over the next four minutes and one second to take a 4-3 lead.

According to ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski, Marchessault said the decision "stole" the win from the Golden Knights, and the 28-year-old added:

"It's a f--king joke. To call five minutes for that? It changed the whole outcome of the game. Like, seriously, what is that? It's so disappointing. The game's not even close. It's 3-0. Call a [two-minute minor]? OK. But a five? For something you don't even see? You just call the outcome. It's a f--king joke. It's embarrassing. That's what it is."

Marchessault did manage to tie it with 47 seconds remaining in regulation, but an overtime goal by Barclay Goodrow sent the Sharks to the second round and eliminated the Golden Knights from Stanley Cup contention.

No penalty appeared to be called on the play initially, and it wasn't until after officials observed Pavelski bleeding on the ice that the decision was made to levy a five-minute major against Eakin.

Marchessault believed the call was excessive given how often players cross-check each other following a faceoff:

"[Referee Eric] Furlatt said, 'It looks pretty bad.' If it looks pretty bad, then clearly you did not see it. It's a faceoff. It's a push. Probably 50 percent of the faceoffs, players—if they lose—they probably give a small cross-check, right? If you want to call the cross-check, fine, call it. It's a cross-check. But seriously, he falls bad. It's unfortunate. Don't get me wrong: I'm a huge fan of Joe Pavelski. And he went down, and I really hope he's OK and he comes back. But that call changes the whole outcome. It changes the whole future of us and the outcome this year. It's a joke. I would be embarrassed if I was them."

There didn't appear to be malice behind Eakin's check, which sent Pavelski tumbling into Golden Knights forward Paul Stastny before he hit the ice.

Calling a major penalty is at the discretion of the officials, but Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant suggested after the game that they didn't actually see what happened on the play:

"They said he cross-checked him across the face, and as we all saw, that didn't happen. There was no high-stick that hit him in the face. When Stastny came out, he fell and banged his head on the ice. That's the unfortunate part of it. It was an awful call. We've all seen it. It's too bad we end up losing because of that because we're in control of the hockey game."

While the five-minute power play gave San Jose life, the fact that it was able to score four times with the man advantage was remarkable given how poorly they performed on the power play during the previous six games of the series, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Don’t call the Sharks baby Sharks.

San Jose scored 4 goals in 4 minutes and 1 second, thanks to a 5-minute major from Cody Eakin. Entering Game 7, the San Jose was 4-25 on the power play. pic.twitter.com/cSMdw1vkns

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 24, 2019

Vegas shocked the hockey world last season when it advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final as an expansion team before falling to the Washington Capitals.

It can be argued that the manner in which the Golden Knights were eliminated from the 2019 playoffs was equally shocking, considering they were about 11 minutes away from booking a second-round date with the Colorado Avalanche when the penalty was called against Eakin.

Although the Golden Knights' 2018-19 season ended in disappointment, they remain well-equipped to contend next season with a core that includes forwards Marchessault, Mark Stone, William Karlsson and Max Pacioretty, as well as goalie Marc-Andre Fleury set to return.

The Vegas Golden Knights acquired Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators on Monday, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. 

Garrioch reported the Senators received Erik Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg and a 2020 second-round draft pick.

Stone was in the final year of his contract and due to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Stone agreed to an eight-year extension with the Golden Knights worth $9.5 million annually.

Stone appeared in 59 games for Ottawa this season. He scored 28 goals and registered 34 assists, putting him on pace to smash his previous career high for points (64 in 2014-15).

Heading into Monday's trade deadline, Sportsnet's Rory Boylen listed Stone as the best player on the market: "Stuck on a bottom-feeding team, Stone has the league's best relative [Corsi for percentage] at 5-on-5 and makes everyone around him better. The only issue is he's on an expiring contract so the return would be far higher for Ottawa if an acquiring team can get an extension worked out."

The Golden Knights obviously achieved that last part, and the Las Vegas Sun's Justin Emerson argued the team didn't give up its best assets to get the deal done:

The Golden Knights got the biggest name on the market and held onto their first-round pick and, most importantly, Cody Glass. That’s a huge part of this

— Justin Emerson (@J15Emerson) February 25, 2019

Brannstrom, the Knights' first-round pick in 2017, has appeared in 41 games for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. Lindberg is an experienced forward but is likely to be only a half-season rental for Ottawa. The 27-year-old is set to hit free agency and doesn't warrant a significant long-term investment right now.

While Brannstrom has shown a lot of potential, that doesn't always materialize when a player reaches the highest level of the game. Sportsnet's Faizal Khamisa thought Ottawa could've gotten more for Stone:

guy, they had other offers, for sure. Getting Brannstrom is great, he’s got potential to be that good, but Brannstrom + a 2nd for Stone? Not enough.

— Faizal Khamisa (@FaizalKhamisa) February 25, 2019

The Golden Knights shocked fans when they reached the Stanley Cup Final in their first year as a franchise. By trading for Stone and immediately giving him a big extension, Vegas is clearly looking to make another deep run in the postseason and remain a title contender going forward.

The Vegas Golden Knights and winger Alex Tuch reportedly reached an agreement Friday on a seven-year, $33.25 million contract extension. 

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported details of the deal, which carries a $4.75 million annual cap hit.

The Knights acquired Tuch, 22, in a trade with the Minnesota Wild in June 2017 ahead of their inaugural season.

He tallied 37 points (15 goals and 22 assists) across 78 games in his first full NHL season. He appeared in just six contests for Minnesota during the 2016-17 campaign.

Tuch added six goals and four helpers in 20 postseason appearances as the expansion franchise made a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Washington Capitals.

In May, he told Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press being involved in the Knights' magical debut campaign the "best year of my life."

He continued: "And I know I'm not at my peak. I'm happy with where I'm at right now. Hopefully I continue to get better and better. It's been a lot of fun so far."

He's yet to appear in a game during the early stages of this season because of a lower-body injury.

By signing him to a long-term extension before he enjoys a major breakout season, the Knights are betting on his potential. A cap hit below $5 million could prove to be a serious bargain should he establish himself as a top-six player in the coming years.

For now, Vegas will hope he returns from injury soon to help the club get on track following a sluggish 3-4-0 start.

The Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL team to form a partnership with a sportsbook, as the team announced a deal with William Hill on Tuesday.

"We are always looking for innovative ways to engage different segments our fanbase and provide a unique fan experience," Vegas Golden Knights president Kerry Bubolz said. "Like the Vegas Golden Knights, William Hill US is a proud 'Vegas Born' organization. This partnership between a major professional team and a sportsbook operator is a historic, landmark agreement, and we are delighted to be leading the way with William Hill in this space."                                                         

William Hill chief executive officer Joe Asher issued a statement as well:

"We could not be more excited to partner with the Golden Knights. We are headquartered in Las Vegas and have seen first-hand what this team has done for our community. William Hill is the leader in the U.S. sports betting market and we are proud of the fact that this is the first sponsorship agreement between a sports book and an NHL team in the country. We appreciate the leadership of Bill Foley and his Golden Knights management team in bringing a winning franchise to Las Vegas and always working to make the in-game experience the best anywhere."

The partnership will interact with fans in a variety of ways, from media to advertising to showing NHL odds on the scoreboard in between periods.

Fittingly enough, the historic gambling partnership comes from the franchise that plays its home games in Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights were the story of the NHL last year, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final as an expansion team. They set expansion records for most wins (51) and most points (109), to name just two of their historic accomplishments.      

Vegas opens its second season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt received a 20-game suspension for a violation of the NHL's performance-enhancing-drug policy, the team announced Sunday.

Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt shared a statement from Schmidt in which the five-year veteran denied knowingly taking a banned substance:

https://twitter.com/alex_prewitt/status/1036286099457499136

"Not only did I not intentionally take a banned substance, I could not have received any performance enhancement benefit from the trace amount that inadvertently got into my system at a level that was far too small to have any effect," Schmidt said. "This low amount was consistent with environmental contamination that I could not possibly have prevented."

The Golden Knights supported Schmidt in their official statement, saying they "believe it is clear Nate was not able to reasonably ascertain how the substance entered his body."

Vegas selected Schmidt with the final pick of the 2017 NHL expansion draft. He spent his first four years with the Washington Capitals.

In his first season with the Golden Knights, Schmidt appeared in 76 games, scoring five goals and finishing with 31 assists. He also had three goals and four assists in the postseason as Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final. Nobody averaged more time on the ice in the playoffs than Schmidt (24:25), illustrating his importance to the team.

Losing Schmidt for nearly a quarter of the 2018-19 regular season is a big blow for Vegas as it enters its second year in the NHL.

After helping the Vegas Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on Friday signed a new contract with the team. 

Fleury announced through the team's official Twitter account that he signed a three-year extension:

🌸

FLEURY

HAS

SOME

REALLY

BIG

NEWS

❗️#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/JXRllYGcvo

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 13, 2018

Per NHL.com's Gary Lawless, Fleury will earn an average of $7 million per season on his new contract.

When the Golden Knights were filling out their roster during the NHL expansion draft in June 2017, Fleury was revealed as the franchise's 29th pick. He was left unprotected by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2003.

The 33-year-old Fleury went 29-13-4 in 46 starts for the Golden Knights and set career-best totals with a 2.24 goals-against average and .927 save percentage. 

The 1967-68 St. Louis Blues are the only team in NHL history besides Vegas to reach the Stanley Cup Final in its first season. The Golden Knights were defeated in the championship series by the Washington Capitals in five games.

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant was recognized for his team's history-making season Wednesday, as he was named the winner of the Jack Adams Award.

Gallant beat out Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche and Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins to secure the award given to the NHL's best head coach.

There was little doubt. Gerard Gallant of the @GoldenKnights is the Jack Adams Award winner. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/lBVsOmUOZk

— NHL (@NHL) June 21, 2018

The Golden Knights finished first in the Western Conference's Pacific Division with 109 points, which was the third-highest total in the conference overall.

With 51 victories during the regular season, Vegas became the winningest expansion team in NHL history as well.

Little was expected of the Golden Knights during their debut season, but they quickly became one of the NHL's best teams under Gallant.

Several players had career years, including William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, David Perron, Reilly Smith, Erik Haula and Colin Miller.

Karlsson led the team with 43 goals and 78 points one season after finishing with just six goals and 25 points for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Gallant guided a Golden Knights team with an ideal mix of youth and experience to one of the most improbable seasons in NHL history that ended with a Stanley Cup Final appearance.

The 54-year-old Gallant is no stranger to defying expectations, as he did precisely that with the Florida Panthers in 2015-16.

After making the playoffs just once in the previous 14 seasons, Gallant and the Panthers finished first in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.

Gallant was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award that season, and while he fell short, he was the clear choice to win it this time around.

The 2018 Stanley Cup Final gives us two fantastic potential winners. On one side, you have Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Almost certainly the best goal scorer of this generation and arguably one of the best ever, Ovechkin had to wait 14 years before getting his first crack at the Stanley Cup.

He's now just three wins away from winning hockey's ultimate prize, and it would be a lot of fun to see the former first overall draft pick finally take his lap with the trophy.

Then on the other side are the Vegas Golden Knights, a team that is made up of castoffs from the 30 other NHL teams. They have been one of the top stories in sports since October, and witnessing what would likely be a once-in-a-lifetime event of an expansion team winning a championship would be gnarly.

The stakes in Game 3 are huge, especially when you consider the historical importance of going up 2-1 in a playoff series, and it should generate some can't-miss hockey.

           

Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Schedule

When: Saturday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET

Television: NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS

Stream: Hulu, NBC Sports Live, NBC Sports App

          

Updated Odds for Game 3

Vegas: +111 (bet $100 to win $111)

Washington: -123 (bet $123 to win $100)

Odds according to OddsShark.com and are accurate as of 7 p.m. ET on June 1

                 

 

Is Evgeny Kuznetsov at or Around 100 Percent?

It's the Stanley Cup Final, so virtually no one on either roster is fully healthy. The games and schedule are grueling, and players wear down over the course of a season and subsequent lengthy playoff run. But not all dings and dents are created equal.

Evgeny Kuznetsov was forced to leave Game 2 with an upper-body injury, and he was unable to return for the remainder of that contest. The leading scorer of the postseason practiced with his teammates on Friday—a good sign—but is still considered a game-time decision according to ESPN.com.

"He's one of the top guys," Ovechkin told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "And, of course, it's very important to see him skating, and I'm pretty sure he's going to be OK tomorrow."

Gulitti was at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex Friday morning and observed that Kuznetsov "had no trouble shooting the puck or making and receiving passes," but how will he hold up during an intense Game 3 showdown if he's able to play?

                

Can Marc-Andre Fleury Bounce Back from a Tough Game 2?

The Golden Knights didn't get clobbered in Game 2—the final score was 3-2—but goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury didn't play up to the standard he's set during Vegas' unlikely run to the Stanley Cup Final.

"He has challenged shooters at every opportunity."

Do you expect Marc-Andre Fleury to bounce back in Game 3? #NHLNow pic.twitter.com/NVnE45zYsD

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) June 1, 2018

He's been darn near unbeatable in these playoffs, sporting a remarkable 14.39 goals saved above average, per Corsica Hockey, and Fleury hasn't dropped back-to-back games since the middle of March. One school of thought maintains that he's due to finally lose consecutive contests, while the other dictates that the netminder has proved to be consistently excellent over the past few months.

Vegas will likely need a strong showing from Flower, as the Capitals will be fired up and playing a home Stanley Cup Final game for the first time since 1998. Whether he can match Braden Holtby's timely saves could be the deciding factor of the game.

The Vegas Golden Knights spared no expense during their pregame ceremony for Game 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final against the Washington Capitals.

The elaborate production included a little bit of everything: warriors shooting "flaming arrows" onto the ice, somebody descending on a wire from the top of T-Mobile Arena and a duel at center ice between a golden knight and a combatant representing the Capitals.

NHL on NBC shared the full show:

Vegas sure knows how to put on a show! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/v2uGfgJ7r8

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 29, 2018

Golden Knights defenseman Colin Miller gave the home crowd even more to cheer about when he put Vegas ahead 1-0 in the opening period.