Sports Business Journal Recognizes Golden Knights as Team of the Year

 

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

The Vegas Golden Knights players are the focus, the stars, the talent.

 

But working long hours behind the Knights’ headlining-grabbing scenes on the ice, in the offices at the team’s headquarters in Summerlin is another team — the business team led by team President Kerry Bubolz.

 

And just days after the Golden Knights skated into history with a Stanley Cup Final berth and start play Monday for hockey’s holy grail, the team’s business staffers received lofty recognition themselves Wednesday by winning the Sports Business Journal team of the year. The Sports Business Journal is a trade publication that covers the business side of sports in the U.S.

 

The Golden Knights business staffers were much like the players, coming to Las Vegas from different teams from around the nation.

 

Bubolz, the team president, came from the Cleveland Cavaliers where he oversaw the NBA team’s business operations. He began his career in minor league baseball.

 

In corporate sales, Jim “Phil” Frevola moved from the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers (and previously, Las Vegas-based UFC) to generate millions of dollars in sponsorship deals and partnerships for the Golden Knights.

 

Chief Marketing Officer Brian Killingsworth, who worked on the team’s soaring merchandise sales literally around the world, joined his pal, Frevola, from the NFL Bucs after working for the MLB Tampa Bay Rays.

 

And who can forget team employee number 1, Ticketing & Suites VP Todd Pollock, who had worked for the San Francisco 49ers.

 

Jonny Greco, VP for events and entertainment, has worked for the WWE and teams in just about every sports league.

 

And Communications VP Eric Tosi came over from the Boston Bruins.

 

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There are many more business staffers and LVSportsBiz.com wishes all of them a heart congratulations.

 

It’s back to work. The Golden Knights know their Stanley Cup opponent after the Washington Capitals defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0, Wednesday to win the Eastern Conference Final title, 4-3, and will play the Golden Knights Monday in Game 1 of the Final.

 

Here is the Stanley Cup Final schedule.

 

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