Golden Knights’ revenge week capped by return of Marc-Andre Fleury

There will be handshakes and hugs, probably a few chirps, and plenty of memories shared during Revenge Week at T-Mobile Arena.

But don’t expect the Golden Knights to get too sentimental when some of the franchise’s most popular players and its first coach return to their onetime home.

“It’s always exciting when guys who have been here in the past come back to town,” defenseman Zach Whitecloud said Saturday. “Obviously, our fans show their appreciation for the time that those guys spent here and put in here, the work they did in the community. They’re all great guys, too.

“At the end of the day, we’re in the business of winning hockey games. There’s no friends when you’re playing hockey.”

The schedule makers packed a handful of major reunions into this portion of the Knights’ homestand, including the highly anticipated return of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury on Saturday when the Chicago Blackhawks visit. Before that, there’s a showdown against forward Ryan Reaves, coach Gerard Gallant and the New York Rangers on Thursday.

The festivities begin Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets when the Knights welcome back defenseman Nate Schmidt and forward Paul Stastny for a matinee matchup.

“Obviously some great alumni coming back into the building for the first time,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It’s important to acknowledge what those men meant to this organization. Historical achievements and really the foundation for where we’re at today was laid by a lot of those guys and their contributions.”

The game against Fleury and the Blackhawks will grab most of the attention after his acrimonious departure in the offseason for a minor league forward whom the Knights later released.

But Fleury, currently in COVID-19 protocol, is not alone in wanting to beat his former club this week.

Schmidt hasn’t appeared at T-Mobile Arena since he was traded to Vancouver in October 2020 for a third-round pick after the Knights signed defenseman Alex Pietrangelo as a free agent and needed to clear salary cap space.

In his three seasons with the Knights, Schmidt became a fan favorite for his gregarious personality and was often tasked with shutting down the opposing team’s top forwards. He struggled last season with the Canucks and was acquired by Winnipeg in July for a third-round pick in 2022. He has 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) in 29 games with the Jets.

Stastny spent two seasons with the Knights before he was shipped to Winnipeg in October 2020, three days before Schmidt’s departure.

The Knights already crossed paths with Reaves and Gallant in New York last month when the Knights overcame a late deficit to win 3-2 in a shootout.

Gallant led the Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season and won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year. But he was fired Jan. 15, 2020, and replaced by DeBoer.

The Rangers (20-8-4, 44 points) are third in the rugged Metropolitan Division during Gallant’s first season. Reaves, the popular fourth-line brawler who was sent to New York in July for a third-round pick, has six assists and 22 penalty minutes in 28 games.

The Knights continue to lead the Pacific Division by points and are second in the league behind Carolina with 22 victories. They’ve won two straight and 10 of their past 12 after Friday’s 3-1 slobberknocker against Anaheim to open what is now a three-week, eight-game homestand after two games in Canada were postponed.

“We’ve got to keep winning games. We want to keep this momentum going,” DeBoer said. “We’re playing well. The points are important. We can’t get fooled by the standings because we’ve played more games than other teams. That gap’s going to close as they make up games. There’s kind of a mixed bag there this week.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.