Fans shoot over more ideas for Las Vegas hockey team names

In 16 years with the R-J, I’ve never received such a deluge of suggestions from readers.

You sent so many fun suggestions for names and ideas for our coming-soon hockey team, I decided to compile a mailbag column.

This won’t be a criticism of team owner Bill Foley, who likes the name Black Knights. To the contrary, Foley’s buy has provided us with the most fun conjecture game in years, unifying the city, and isn’t that what a team is meant to do?

Fair point: “Sports writers are itching to be the first to print, ‘Knights Mourning Loss,’” writes Randall Fike, who is fond of the names Vegas Conventioneers, The Longhaulers (cab sponsored), The Velvet Ropes, CAH-CHINGS, and The Las Vegas $$$.

Today’s serious suggestions: The Las Vegas Vigilantes, The Victors, Pioneers, Royals, Mustangs, Ice Bucket Challengers, Blades. (Thanks to Cynthia Zeidner, Mike Mas, Mark Cole, Mary McCoy).

Rhyme time: How about naming them the Las Vegas Invaders, so that if the football Raiders move to town, we can start a rhyming scheme for big league teams, says Jim Jackson, 47-year Las Vegan and a regular ticket buyer of previous teams the Old LV Outlaws, Thunder and Wranglers.

From Facebook friends: The Hangovers. The Dry Heat. The Walk of Shame. The Wind. The Dust. The Blow. The Drought. The Mob. The Pimps. The Poolguys. The Fires. The Strip. The Strip-pers. The Pucks. The No Names. The Fighting IKEA. The We Cost $1 Billion. The Ice. The 10-Minute Misconducts. A/C. 17 Guys No Cup. Cacti Pricks. Rat Pack. Polar Bears. Saints. Hookers. Cougars. Lucky Pucks. Caliche. Bristlecones. Black Jacks. Black Widows. Pairadice/Paradise. Drones. Paleontologists. Marauders. (Thanks Beth Lano, Hilarie Grey, Pat Getter, Stephen Wessells, Bill Zimmerman, Diane Lynn, Sabra Smith Newby, Lee Mallory, Carolyn Shugar, Branden Powers, Terry Zwerling, John M. Kawano, Pace Lattin, Billy Cancun, Carmelo Rodriguez, Vanessa Elliott, Randy McGuire, Richard Corey, Jeremy Ginsburg, Christine McKellar, Mary Gabriel.)

“Big Lebowski” reference: The Dudes. That way, when they win, everyone can say, “The dudes abide.” (Thanks Andrew Clark Hall.)

Las Vegas Knights: The most recommended name I heard at Wednesday’s NHL Awards was Scorpions, but a skeptical reader named David says Scorpions would only be perfect, “if all your fans are sixth graders. They love spiders. Spiders make most people sick. Knights are great figures. Strong men. Great fighters. Kids might even want to grow up to be a Knight.”

Less menace: James Price wants a kinder, gentler team name, such as “Hound Dogs”: “At least I wouldn’t be ashamed to wear an ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog T-Shirt.’”

Wynning: “Steve Wynn should pay whatever it takes to get the naming rights,” Karen Forsyth thinks. “Then he could name the team the Las Vegas Wynns. … Even if the team loses, the reporters still have to say, ‘Las Vegas Wynns.’”

Programming note: I can’t do anymore mailbags. If you have suggestions, write them in the comments section of this column online.

My personal favorite: As a comedy nerd, I submit a Don Rickles-inspired name: The Hockey Pucks.

‘ZUMANITY’ AD TAKES OFF

Cirque du Soleil’s naughtiest show, “Zumanity,” has a bona fide Facebook video mini-hit on its hands with a promo ad.

The highly stylized 30-second video features “Zumanity’s” strawberry ladies (rated “G”-ish), the show’s blond couple being suggestive with a banana (“PG-13”-ish), and emcee Edie saying, “Sex is beautiful, isn’t it? Well, it is if you have a partner. Or two.”

This is pretty, clever and piled up thousands of Facebook views in its first 24 hours, a difficult feat for anyone, as you can see on “Zumanity’s” Facebook page.

SIGHTINGS

Actor Mike Shouhed of Bravo’s “Shahs of Sunset” and a friend tried the crispy rice, shrimp pad thai, orange chicken and pepper steak in The Venetian’s TAO restaurant on Tuesday.

After Wednesday’s NHL Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel, Anaheim Ducks center forward Ryan Kesler, still in suit and bow tie, walked into STK Steakhouse in The Cosmopolitan hotel with friends and family, and he scored little burgers, a shrimp cocktail, a filet and Don Julio on the rocks.

Also at STK, Indiana Pacers center Ian Mahinmi sampled a steak special, burrata (solid mozzarella on the outside, cream and mozzarella on the inside) and a drink, then he was out by midnight.

Harry Connick Jr. jazzed up the place at La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway in the Wynn during a private NBC-TV gathering on Tuesday.

And Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook on Wednesday returned to STK, where he’s a regular when in town.

Doug Elfman can be reached at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman. On Twitter: @VegasAnonymous