A show within a show. That's Vegas, baby!
Las Vegas is known for its entertaining spectacles and incredible performances. Those productions don't stop when it comes to sports, either.
Since entering the NHL in the fall of 2017, the Golden Knights have brought the Vegas flare to their games. Before every home contest, the club puts on an extensive pregame show for the fans, getting the crowd hyped to catch all the action on the ice.
The show varies depending on the opponents. The bigger the game, the more intricate the pregame production is. With Vegas playing in the Stanley Cup Final, the crew putting together this entertainment has upped its game as well.
Vegas knows how to put on a show 🔥🍿 pic.twitter.com/UMiZjuHE3h
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 4, 2023
From an actual Golden Knight wielding a sword to special-effect videos being displayed on the surface, to using literal medieval weaponry, the show never fails to disappoint.
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The Sporting News takes a look at the beginning of the Golden Knights' pregame show and how it came to be a part of every Vegas home game.
What is the Golden Knights' pregame show?
The pregame show before Vegas home games is an elaborate, theatrical performance consisting both of clips detailing the "battle" that is about to commence and an on-ice production involving an actor dressed as an actual golden knight.
These shows can last a couple of minutes or can be drawn out to up to 10 minutes.
It started in the team's first season in the NHL. Jonny Greco, the former vice president of entertainment and production for the Golden Knights, wanted to create a production that told a story about the teams before the game. His intent was to get the fans more invested before the puck had even dropped.
Team owner Bill Foley had the original vision, but Greco is the one that made it possible.
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"I wanted to tie in some of the live elements with on-ice performances that a lot of other teams didn't do," Greco said in an interview with NHL.com. "I wanted to create the best home-ice advantage for our players to play in, and have the loudest crowd and passionate fans to cheer for them."
It was a hit right off the bat. The pregame show immediately became a unique facet of the Vegas franchise. It certainly helped that the Golden Knights had an extremely successful inaugural season, winning the Pacific Division and making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
As the games got more important, the production was amplified. While the basis of the show stayed the same, Greco and his team added a few more elements for the playoff games.
The shows didn't stop after the first season. As each season has passed, Vegas has kept the entertainment new and fresh, not allowing any room for boredom during these showcases.
Greco has since left Vegas and is now in Seattle working with the Kraken's entertainment department. However, as the saying goes, the show must go on.
When does the Golden Knights' pregame show start?
The pregames show at Vegas home games start typically eight to 10 minutes before puck drop.
"Knight Time", as it has become called, always occurs after the players have come out for their warmups and the ice has been resurfaced. The performance leads right into the Golden Knights and opposing team entering the sheet.
