I could use a break from the puzzling decisions the Golden Knights’ front office made last week, I’m sure the fans can as well. With that, let’s completely ignore roster management and highlight yet another accomplishment by the 31st franchise. After holding the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere, the Vegas Golden Knights and the City of Las Vegas have hosted every one of the NHL’s major events. It’s a rare feat as many established teams haven’t had the opportunity to complete what Vegas has in only seven full seasons.
Major NHL Events Hosted In Las Vegas
- 2017 – NHL Expansion Draft
- 2018 – Stanley Cup Finals
- 2022 – NHL All-Star Game
- 2023 – Stanley Cup Finals
- 2024 – NHL Draft
Front offices, agents, rookies, and fans all packed Las Vegas’ most desired venue for the league’s annual entry draft. The host team Golden Knights picked Trevor Connelley at #17, while also continuing to show off our beautiful city to the hockey world. The NHL Draft makes it the league’s fourth major event Las Vegas has hosted since 2017. The Stanley Cup finals (2018, 2023), All-Star game (2022) and the NHL Draft (2024) have now all taken place in Southern Nevada. Some teams haven’t seen any of these soirées in their hometowns, let alone all of them.
Sure, the Golden Knights have a leg up on most of the other 32 NHL destinations, but the league only awarded the city with the All-Star Game and NHL Draft. The team and the players were the reason the Stanley Cup Trophy was handed out in Sin City. Just think about this, since VGK’s first season there have been six individual champions, a third of them hoisted the Stanley Cup on the Golden Knights home ice. Vegas may have been on the wrong side of one of those T-Mobile Arena celebrations, but they made up for five seasons later.
Teams To Never Host A Stanley Cup Final
- Columbus Blue Jackets: 2000 – Present
- Minnesota Wild: 2000 – Present
- Seattle Kraken: 2021 – Present
- Winnipeg Jets: 1999 – Present
- Utah/Arizona: 1996 – Present
There are teams established before the turn of the century that have almost nothing to show for, while the Golden Knights have secured the 2023 Stanley Cup trophy and participated in four conference championships since 2018. The NHL likes to spread the wealth when it comes to exhibitions and off-ice celebrations. The league rewards franchises with major events like the All-Star game, Award Show, and the NHL Draft but it ends there for five NHL franchises. The Golden Knights created their own destiny by reaching the final four in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023. VGK crossed the two toughest events to host off the list in their inaugural season.
Photo from @GoldandSteelVGK on X/Twitter
Due to VGK’s wild success, it feels like the league would prefer to throw all of their annual bashes in Las Vegas. It allows them to be more creative. Okay, maybe it’s not just the team that attracts the fans, players and league officials. Let’s face it, the NHL Draft at The Sphere was likely the most memorable in hockey history and it wasn’t caused by the newly drafted prospects. Las Vegas and The Sphere stole the show.
Although it’s unique, toss in the 2017 Expansion Draft. Only seven cities (Boston, Buffalo, Calgary Las Vegas, Montreal, Seattle, Quebec City) in league history have had the honor to host an expansion draft. Go ahead and add several NHL Award shows if you want. Sure, it’s a league event but on a much lesser scale than the All-Star Game, Western Conference final, NHL Draft and the Stanley Cup final.
We’ve known it and now they know it, Las Vegas offers it all. And it’s clear the league happens to have a platinum rewards card.
