More fans approved for Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena

The Golden Knights’ home crowds are about to get larger.

The organization announced Thursday it was approved to have 20 percent of capacity at T-Mobile Arena starting with its next home game Monday against the San Jose Sharks. The Knights had been approved for 15 percent of capacity for home games against the Minnesota Wild on March 1 and 3.

The Knights had an announced attendance of 2,605 for each of their games against the Wild. The extra capacity will allow the team to host about 3,473 fans. Tickets for the five remaining March home games went on sale Thursday morning.

Silver Knights coach Manny Viveiros, whose team was approved Tuesday to have 15 percent of capacity at Orleans Arena, said fans made a difference in the Golden Knights’ two wins over the Wild.

“You can hear them,” Viveiros said. “The players, at the end of the day, they’re entertainers. They want to play in front of people.”

Fourth line’s struggles

Knights coach Pete DeBoer switched up the fourth line Wednesday in hopes of getting it going. It didn’t work.

DeBoer scratched left wing William Carrier for undisclosed reasons for the first time this season and went with Tomas Nosek, Keegan Kolesar and Ryan Reaves in a 4-3 loss at Minnesota. They were outchanced 5-0 at five-on-five and were on the ice for Wild defenseman Carson Soucy’s game-winning goal.

The fourth line hasn’t produced all season. Reaves and Carrier have no goals and are a minus-4 at five-on-five. Worse yet, the group’s grinding, possession game has fallen off. Carrier (54.33 percent), Reaves (53) and Nosek (52.83) each had a strong shot attempts percentage in their first three seasons with the Knights.

Those three, plus rookie Kolesar, have the four worst shot attempts percentages on the team this season. Reaves has the highest at 46.33 percent.

Thompson’s rare path

Knights rookie goaltender Logan Thompson made his NHL debut Wednesday in relief of Marc-Andre Fleury.

The 24-year-old took an unusual road to the crease. Thompson played Canadian collegiate hockey at Brock University after his junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings, who were owned at the time by Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon.

Thompson is believed to be the first U SPORTS — the Canadian collegiate athletics governing body — goaltender to play in an NHL game since 1994, according to Ontario Hockey League broadcaster Victor Findlay.

“I don’t know if it’s ever happened for Brock,” Badgers coach Marty Williamson said. “It’s a great story.”

Korczak returns to juniors

Golden Knights prospect Kaedan Korczak was reassigned Thursday to his junior team, the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets.

The right-shot defenseman was taken in the second round by the Knights in the 2019 draft. He started the season in Henderson and had two assists in nine games with the Silver Knights.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.