Chants of ‘Fleury, Fleury, Fleury’ After Golden Knights’ 3-2 Win; First-Year Team One Win From Cup Finals

 

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

The VGK’s knight’s vow playoff season ticket deal did a nice job keeping LA Kings and San Jose Sharks fans to a minimum at T-Mobile Arena during the Stanley Cup’s first two rounds to give the Vegas Golden Knights a partisan home ice advantage.

 

But Friday, there were white-shirted Winnipeg Jets fans scattered in sections, even dominating some rows in the big ice house on the Strip.

 

LVSportsBiz.com eyeball estimate had about 2,000 Jets fans among the 18,000 plus fans in the building. Attendance was announced at 18,697 — a Golden Knights record.

 

But it were the Golden Knights fans who rejoiced in the end, savoring a 3-2 win with the VGK seizing a 3-1 games lead in the Best-of-7 Western Conference Finals. The next game is Sunday in Winnipeg.

 

The Jets’ fan presence did not catch the Golden Knights business management off-guard because workers were monitoring secondary market ticket sales all day long, VGK President Kerry Bubolz said.

 

“We give them credit,” Bubolz told LVSportsBiz.com an hour before the game. “They’re great fans.”

 

Dawn Bodnarchuk and her husband, Paul, came from Winnipeg and they brought their 23-year-old daughter who just happens to have a first name of Nevada. (I’m not making that up.)

 

Dawn said Golden Knights fans gave free beers to her husband during Game 3 Wednesday.

 

*

 

It’s always a great moment when the big crowd participates in the national anthem.

 

*

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Just so you know, you can walk up to the T-Mobile Arena box office three hours before a Western Conference Finals Game 4 and buy a ticket.

 

And upper bowl section 200 seat was going for $301, while a lower bowl section eight seat was selling for $559.  There weren’t too many seats, but they could be bought.

 

On StubHub, you can buy the least expensive ticket for $218 for an upper corner seat in section 202 row F.

 

*

 

The radio jock at 97.1 FM The Point who played tunes with Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt recently said Schmidt knows his classic rock.

 

Schmidt played Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin and enjoyed the radio stint, said Lorrin, the jock hanging out at a 97.1 FM tent before the game.

 

*

 

When I head over to the arena’s media entrance, I usually see the first Golden Knights fan waiting outside to get into the venue. Her name is Ellie Reichel, a retired dental hygienist from Henderson who has a three-year season ticket deal.

 

“I like to be on time and punctual,” Reichel told me.

 

An hour before the doors open is what I call punctual.

 

She wears a “Wild Bill” number 71 jersey and she’s from Detroit Red Wings country, while her husband is from the Chicago Blackhawks turf.

 

*

 

Let’s go to the postgame video interviews.

 

Defenseman Nate Schmidt.

 

Defenseman Luca Sbisa

Forward Erik Haula:

 

*

 

Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Contact LVSportsBiz.com founder/writer Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com