Back on 22 November, principal owner Bill Foley ended months of speculation on the nickname of the 31st franchise in the NHL by unveiling the Vegas Golden Knights.
Media reports ranged on a multitude of names from gaming-oriented, to others using the name “Knights” in some capacity, largely in part to Foley’s United States Army background. Two of the Golden Knights' colors (black and gold) are the primary colors for the Army's athletic squads.
The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League blocked the franchise using the same nickname. The NHL publicly stated it would not sanction any name associated with gaming and/or gambling. The idea of a professional franchise with gambling ties is what kept the “Big Four” out of Nevada in the first place.
The team opted for a spartan-esque soldier helmet, with the “V” in the negative spacing of the helmet, while placing the helmet on a shielded crest. The Golden Knights went with gray, gold, red, and black for their colors, with the black being (at the moment) an accent, instead of a primary.
If you have seen the logo, it’s a good thing the red and gray were not the primary color, because the team could have been dubbed the Las Vegas Magnetos. Don’t be the least bit surprised when those helmets are worn by fans when the team starts play next October.
Foley’s biggest impact was landing George McPhee as his initial General Manager. McPhee was involved with the Washington Capitals from 1997-2004, and helped guide the team to seven division championships, and drafted a guy you may have heard of (who bears the nickname “AO”). McPhee joined the New York Islanders for last season as an adviser to GM Garth Snow, but it was only because the chair in his office at the T-Mobile Arena wasn’t ready yet.
While the NHL did a great thing accepting Foley’s big to join the league, a golden (no pun intended) opportunities were missed for the league to make this a story no one would soon forget. When the NHL realigned the divisions from six to four in 2013, the Eastern (16) and Western (14) Conferences were left unbalanced. The Golden Knights will join the Pacific Division next year, instantly starting rivalries with the Arizona Coyotes, and the two southern California teams (Los Angeles and Anaheim).
Now, the Cleveland Browns returning to the NFL in 1999 left the conferences unbalanced, much like the NHL is now. However, the NFL had a contingency plan in place to fill a 32nd franchise as quickly as possible. The NFL announced in 1999 the Houston Texans would join the league, despite not playing their first game until 2002. As it stands right now, the NHL has no such plan in place. In 2007 the Pittsburgh Penguins were rumored to be going through a third bankruptcy since 1975. The Sprint Center was built in Kansas City, in hopes of luring the Penguins out of Pittsburgh. The Penguins remained, and won a pair of Stanley Cups since. So, there is a 17,544 seat arena in a major market, and no permanent tenant to fill it. Quebec has been yapping in the ear of anyone who will listen (and some who won’t) to get an NHL team back since the Nordiques left for Denver in 1995.
And of course, they’re the long-standing Seattle rumor that will never die…
Kansas City coming into the fold would mean a natural rivalry with both the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. Quebec would allow the Detroit Red Wings or Columbus Blue Jackets to rejoin the Western Conference. So far this year, Columbus has shown it can hang with the monsters of the East, whereas Detroit has finished no better than third since realigning.
Seattle would create even more chaos, as not one of the teams in the Pacific Division would fit in the Central Division. There is no feasible way the league would break up the Calgary/Edmonton provincial rivalry for the sake of balance.
Anyone who saw the Golden Knights unveiling saw how the videos did not work, and Foley’s team came off like fools. Back on 8 December, the US Patent Office rejected the Golden Knights trademark request, citing potential confusion with the College of Saint Rose Golden Knights. Foley and the NHL have until 7 June 2017 to formally respond. That date would land smack in the middle of next year’s Stanley Cup Final.
There is a long-standing issue of certain college teams using the same names as professional franchises. High school teams all over the country borrow their logos from the college and professional ranks. Nothing will likely come about of the trademark rejection, as some sort of settlement will be made. However, for everything Foley is trying to do right by his franchise, the league and other forces are trying to give him a black eye in the shape of the “V” on his team’s (for now) logo.
So basically NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman rolled snake eyes...again…
-JC24