Golden Knights fans maintain ‘vow’ not to resell playoff tickets

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Golden Knights were confident their fan base would not waiver in their loyalty to the franchise when it came time for the postseason.

The Knights’ faith in the fans was shown by the overwhelming response not to opt out of the “Knights Vow” which was extended to all season ticket-holders and gave them a discount on their playoff tickets by agreeing not to put their seats on sale on secondary ticket websites such as StubHub.

“It’s gone incredibly well,” team president Kerry Bubolz said after the Knights put several thousands seats and standing room on sale Monday morning for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “Our core objective was we wanted to reward our best fans with the best price for the playoffs.”

Bubolz would not reveal the number of fans who opted into not taking the Knights Vow. But visiting fans can expect a smaller inventory of tickets on the secondary market than normal.

“Ultimately, we’ll see how things play out,” he said of how effective the Knights Vow program was in keeping visiting team’s fans out of T-Mobile Arena. “Obviously, there will be opportunities for fans of any team to attend a game. But we’re very pleased with the response we received from our members.”

As of Monday afternoon, a few seats remained available for purchase. Remaining tickets can be purchased online only at vegasgoldenknights.com.

Karlsson’s star shines

William Karlsson’s big week earned him First Star honors Monday for the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week.

Karlsson, who leads the team with 42 goals, had three goals, including two shorthanded tallies, along with six assists last week as Karlsson helped the Knights lock up a playoff berth and clinch the Pacific Division title.

“It’s always nice to be recognized by the league,” Karlsson said. “But the best part was we got to clinch the division and made the playoffs.”

Arizona goaltender Antti Raanta and Buffalo center Jack Eichel were the week’s second and third stars, respectively.

Carrier returns

Forward Will Carrier was activated off injured-reserve and practiced with the team Monday for the first time since injuring his shoulder against Washington Feb. 4. He will be on the road trip and could be in the lineup as early as Tuesday.

“It feels good,” said Carrier, who did not need surgery but faced a long rehab and has missed 27 games. “Hopefully it won’t take long to get my timing back and be ready to help the team in the playoffs.”

Coach Gerard Gallant said forwards Reilly Smith and David Perron along with defenseman Luca Sbisa, all of who have been out with various injuries, will be on the final three-game road trip. But Gallant could not say who will play or when.

Remembering the Sedins

Twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the longtime Swedish stars of the Canucks, announced their retirement from hockey Monday.

“They’ve had incredible careers and their numbers speak for themselves,” said fellow Swede Karlsson. “They could score. They were hard to knock off the puck and they had that connection, of course. They’re legends.”

Karlsson said he looks forward to seeing the 37-year-old twins on the ice one last time Tuesday when the teams square off at Rogers Arena. The Sedins entered the league in 2000 and have played their entire NHL careers in Vancouver. Henrik is the franchise’s scoring leader with 1,068 points. Daniel is the Canucks’ career leader in goals with 391.

“I’ll definitely congratulate them and wish them well,” Karlsson said.

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Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.