Vegas Golden Knights
About the Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the NHL's youngest franchises.
The NHL awarded Las Vegas an expansion franchise in June 2016, and the Golden Knights began play during the 2017-18 season as the league's 31st team. They became the first major men's professional sports franchise from the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL to call Las Vegas home.
Las Vegas had hosted NHL events long before the arrival of the Golden Knights. In 1991, the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers played a preseason game outdoors at Caesars Palace, the first outdoor game between two NHL teams. The city later became a regular destination for preseason hockey.
The Golden Knights quickly surpassed almost every expectation for a new expansion team. They reached the Stanley Cup Final during their inaugural season and won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history only five years later.
Division History
The Golden Knights joined the NHL as members of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference.
Vegas has remained in the Pacific Division throughout its history, with one exception. During the shortened 2020-21 season, the NHL temporarily reorganized its divisions and the Golden Knights competed in the West Division.
Vegas won the Pacific Division during its inaugural 2017-18 season, becoming the first modern NHL expansion team to capture a division championship in its first year.
The Golden Knights have since added Pacific Division championships in 2019-20, 2022-23, 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Championship History
The Golden Knights produced one of the greatest inaugural seasons by an expansion team in professional sports history.
Vegas finished first in the Pacific Division in 2017-18 before defeating the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in their first season but lost to the Washington Capitals in five games.
Vegas continued to contend throughout its early years. The Golden Knights reached the conference final again in 2020 and advanced to the Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2021.
The franchise's breakthrough came in 2023.
Vegas won the Pacific Division before defeating the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars to reach its second Stanley Cup Final.
The Golden Knights faced the Florida Panthers and won the series in five games. Vegas clinched the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history with a 9-3 victory at T-Mobile Arena.
Jonathan Marchessault received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
The Golden Knights returned to the Stanley Cup Final for a third time in 2026.
Vegas won another Pacific Division championship and defeated the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks before sweeping the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
The Golden Knights faced the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final. The series was tied after four games before Carolina won Games 5 and 6 to capture the championship in six games.
Through their first nine NHL seasons, the Golden Knights reached the playoffs eight times, advanced to the Stanley Cup Final three times and won one Stanley Cup.
Home of the Golden Knights
The Golden Knights play their home games at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, on the Las Vegas Strip.
The arena opened in 2016, one year before the Golden Knights began NHL play.
T-Mobile Arena hosted the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft that helped form the original Vegas roster and has been the franchise's home since its inaugural season.
The building became the site of the greatest moment in franchise history in June 2023, when the Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to win their first championship.
Notable Golden Knights
Jonathan Marchessault became one of the defining players of the Golden Knights' first era.
Vegas selected Marchessault from the Florida Panthers during the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, and he immediately became one of the team's leading offensive players.
Marchessault spent seven seasons with the Golden Knights, recording 192 goals, 225 assists and 417 points in 514 regular-season games.
He played on both the 2018 and 2023 Stanley Cup Final teams and produced the greatest postseason of his career during the 2023 championship run.
Marchessault scored 13 goals and recorded 25 points during those playoffs and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP.
William Karlsson was another original member of the Golden Knights and produced one of the biggest breakout seasons in NHL expansion history.
Selected from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 Expansion Draft, Karlsson scored 43 goals during Vegas' inaugural season after entering the year with only 18 career NHL goals.
He won the Lady Byng Trophy following that season and became a long-serving member of the franchise. Karlsson also played a major role in the 2023 Stanley Cup championship, scoring 11 goals during the playoffs.
Mark Stone became the first captain in Golden Knights history.
Vegas acquired Stone from the Ottawa Senators in 2019, and he was named captain before the 2020-21 season.
Stone captained the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2023 and scored a hat trick in the Cup-clinching Game 5 victory over Florida.
Jack Eichel became another centerpiece of the championship team after joining Vegas in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres in 2021.
Eichel led all NHL players with 26 points during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, recording six goals and 20 assists while helping the Golden Knights win the championship.
He later set the franchise record for points in a single regular season and remained a major part of the team that returned to the Stanley Cup Final in 2026.
Marc-Andre Fleury became the face of the Golden Knights during their remarkable inaugural season.
Vegas selected the veteran goaltender from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2017 Expansion Draft. Fleury helped lead the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season and became one of the franchise's most popular early players.
He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2021 while playing for Vegas.
Shea Theodore has also been one of the longest-serving players from the original Golden Knights roster.
The defenseman joined Vegas through an Expansion Draft-related trade with the Anaheim Ducks and developed into one of the team's leading offensive defensemen. Theodore played important roles in each of the franchise's three trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
Other prominent players in Golden Knights history include Reilly Smith, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden McNabb, Chandler Stephenson, Adin Hill and Ivan Barbashev.