LVSportsBiz Advice For Golden Knights: Enlist ‘Golden Pipes’ For National Anthem At Franchise’s First Playoff Game

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

(Editor’s Note: LVSportsBiz.com has learned Carnell Johnson, also known as “Golden Pipes,” has been picked to sing tonight’s national anthem before Game 1 of the Golden Knights-LA Kings game tonight.)

 

This being Las Vegas, if you’re a sports team owner, event organizer or casino manager you can just about do anything related to sports under the “This is Vegas” banner and get away with it with a smile (or unscathed.)

 

Make a sculpture of Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury out of chocolate at the Bellagio? Sure, how cute is that? Wedge a mega-sized six-foot puck into the side of a pedestrian bridge elevator tower near Caesars on the Strip? Sounds good to me.

 

But when it comes to picking a singer to perform the national anthem at the Golden Knights’ historic first playoff game at home, don’t mess with a guitarist or a performer with a keyboard. On the eve of the team’s epic first playoff game, LVSportsBiz.com recommends the team choose a Las Vegas born performer with golden pipes to deliver the anthem Wednesday shortly after 7 p.m. Strip Time.

 

Yes, we’re asking owner Bill Foley to pick local singer Carnell Johnson, who has performed the national anthem at four Golden Knights games this inaugural season and whose opera-style bass voice fills T-Mobile Arena. (Besides, the team is 3-1 at games where Johnson performed the national anthem.)

 

Two weeks ago, LVSportsBiz.com raised the specter of the 36-year-old Johnson serving as the team’s go-to anthem singer in much the same way the Boston Bruins enlisted iconic singer Rene Rancourt who is retiring after 42 years of singing the national anthem in Boston.

 

You can read that LVSportsBiz.com March 29 story on Johnson here.

 

LVSportsBiz.com believes Johnson — who goes by the “Golden Pipes” moniker and has a Golden Knights hockey sweater to prove it — would be the ideal selection for Wednesday night’s first playoff game on VGK home ice.

 

He’s a humble Las Vegas native who has become a fan favorite and even won a recent LVSportsBiz.com Twitter poll as the performer who should sing the national anthem at Game 1.

 

The Golden Knights have been very creative with its in-game entertainment presentation this inaugural season.

 

But here’s my advice to the team on the Game 1 national anthem.

 

Play it straight. Play it traditional.

 

Give the mic to the Vegas born bass singer.

 

A powerful, operatic rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner can set the tone for the team’s first playoff game, stoke a home crowd that already has the reputation for giving the Golden Knights the NHL’s best home ice and pay appropriate tribute to our country.

 

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National anthem singers have a special niche at NHL playoff games. It’s a professional sports league where tradition reigns supreme — and pregame singers from Boston to Philadelphia to Chicago have all played special roles.

 

And LVSportsBiz.com believes Johnson — the Golden Pipes of Sin City — can start the tradition here in Las Vegas. Check out Johnson delivering the Canadian and American anthems here before a Golden Knights’ regular-season game:

 

When LVSportsBiz.com interviewed Johnson two weeks ago, the singer offered a savvy piece of strategy to singing the anthem before Golden Knights fans in Las Vegas.

 

“I usually let the crowd call out, ‘night,’ ” Johnson said.

 

And with that, LVSportsBiz.com urges Foley to pick Golden Pipes as your anthem man at Game 1 Wednesday.

 

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