Las Vegas freelance photographer and avid Golden Knights fan Shawn Hickey donned a suit of armor during the NHL Expansion Draft on Wednesday.
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The Vegas Golden Knights have a team.
Fourteen years ago Wednesday, Marc-Andre Fleury was drafted No. 1 overall by Pittsburgh, the only NHL sweater he has worn until now, and arrives to Las Vegas with three Stanley Cups.
The Golden Knights emerged from the NHL Expansion Draft on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena with several skilled forwards, a development that even head coach Gerard Gallant didn’t see coming.
The Golden Knights nabbed 37 players — 30 in the actual expansion draft — and added nine draft picks in various rounds stretching into 2020.
Connor McDavid, hockey’s most prized prospect since Sidney Crosby, won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s MVP on Wednesday night at the league’s postseason awards show at T-Mobile Arena.
“This city has a great hockey foundation and we’re really excited about hockey coming to Las Vegas,” Wayne Gretzky said. “This is tremendous organization. (Las Vegas Knights General Manager) George McPhee has done a tremendous job putting the team together. They are going to surprise a lot of people this year. As Nashville showed, if you finish in the top eight, anything can happen.”
With teams willing to wheel and deal to prevent Vegas from drafting key unprotected players, general manager George McPhee netted a bushel of draft picks and players for the first-year franchise.
Owner Bill Foley and general manager George McPhee announced the team’s 30 selections in the NHL Expansion Draft before an enthusiastic crowd at T-Mobile Arena, giving fans names and faces to learn before the season starts in October.
Colorado goaltender Calvin Pickard was the first name announced, and some of the big names that followed included Pittsburgh goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury and Florida forward Jonathan Marchessault.