VGK Lose Preseason Game Monday But Win A Defenseman–Shea Theodore Signed To 7-Year Deal

 

By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com

 

Let’s get the big news over first. Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee said after the VGK’s 5-3 preseason loss to the Colorado Avalanche that the team has signed defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract through the 2024-25 season worth an average annual value of $5.2 million.

 

Now Theodore will join his VGK pals at owner Bill Foley’s ranch in Montana for two off days of bonding Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Coach George Gallant welcomed the signing and said Theodore should be ready for the regular season.

 

McPhee noted Theodore’s agent wanted two years, but seven years at an average of $5.2 million per will give the Golden Knights cost certainty to better handle the salary cap. LVSportsBiz.com asked McPhee how the Theodore negotiations compared to others in his GM career. Here’s his response:

 

“I don’t think it’s unusual. You start in a certain place, but if both sides are open minded you can get a deal done. I don’t think it’s that unusual, you just never know, maybe they wanted a long-term deal all along, that’s the way it goes sometimes. With that group you can get deals done with them, and I’ve done a lot of deals done with them over the years. I haven’t had this in 10 or 12 years I don’t think I’ve had a player that didn’t have a contract a few weeks into camp.

 

“It’s been a long time, but that’s probably related to the CBA being what it is now. It’s unique for some of these young players, some are still out without contracts right now. I don’t think at all that this was really unusual and what’s done is done.”

 

 

 

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The NHL preseason is a time for the Golden Knights game operations folks led by ops chief Jonny Greco to also round into regular season form. The Golden Knights’ attendance at these exhibition games continue to astound. Monday’s announced crowd was 17,880 — way above the capacity level of 17,367. And it was slightly more than the preseason home opener of 17,567 on Oct. 16 when the VGK defeated the Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena.

 

LVSportsBiz.com likes more organ music in the pregame and even during the game. The organ is a great NHL game tradition and it’s a great add to compliment the Golden Knights’ over-the-top Vegas acts like Cirque Du Soleil acrobats.

 

Another thumbs up for the use of the giant Knights helmet prop dropped from the rafters before the game that allow the Golden Knights players to come skating out to the ice.

 

We haven’t seen the Golden Knights’ famed pregame sword ceremony that owner Bill Foley outlined months before the start of season one during the first two preseason home games. But game ops chief Greco led me to believe the sword ceremony will be ready for regular season duty — much like goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury who doesn’t log too much time during the exhibition games, but you know he’ll be ready with his game face when the regular season rolls around in October.

 

Tip to national anthem singers who are not Carnell Johnson — no need to sing the word, “night,” in the national anthem. That’s actually a tip from “CJ” — Johnson, who told LVSportsBiz.com last season that he skips the word because he knows the T-Mobile Arena crowd will handle that word in the anthem.

 

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LVSportsBiz.com is also trying some new coverage strategies for season two, with more Facebook videos that will be woven into our Golden Knights game coverage. For example, LVSportsBiz.com chatted with Channel 8 sports director Chris Maathuis before the game to get his take on the Golden Knights and the growing Las Vegas sports market.

 

Maathuis also discusses how Channel 8 covers this dynamic sports market in Las Vegas.

 

 

Part of the T-Mobile Arena experience is the food options around the arena, which hosts a variety of sports events besides Golden Knights hockey. For example, UFC is an arena tenant and the venue hosts everything from championship bull riding events to the Pac-12 basketball championship.

 

LVSportsBiz.com caught up with the arena’s executive chef, Garry DeLucia, who gave a nice summary of the Levy Restaurants offerings at the arena in this video interview  A couple things to note — Levy makes special dishes based on the Knights’ opponent that day and there’s a new outdoor food offering site off the suite level.

 

 

On my Facebook page, please look for cool interview via Facebook Live. For example, LVSportsBiz.com chatted with Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney between period one and two. Graney and his radio partner, Clay Baker, are moving their “Press Box” radio show from 11 am-2 pm to drive time 7 am-10am starting in early October.

 

LVSportsBiz.com also had the chance to chat with local FOX radio personality Christopher Chapman between periods two and three. Chapman does a lot of the great radio interviews of Golden Knights players you hear on FOX radio 1340AM and 98.9FM. Check the Chapman chat here.

 

 

And don’t forget some of my favorite fans — including Christopher Green, a regular on the pregame jumbotron, and Barbara and Pete Landes, former Islanders fans who have adopted the Golden Knights as their team. Let’s have as chat with those fun fans.

 

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Las Vegas-based AGS, a gaming equipment supplier, signed a partnership with the Golden Knights. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. It’s the first sponsorship deal of its type in professional sports — where a gambling equipment supplier and an NHL team have a partnership agreement.

 

Here’s the press release.

 

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