Golden Knights Quell Emotional Pain of Oct. 1 in Las Vegas

By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com

 

Zac Alexander talked about what the Oct. 1 mass shooting and the role of the Vegas Golden Knights meant to him.

 

And by the end, the 26-year-old Boyd Gaming sportsbook worker was overcome with emotion and the interview ended.

 

Monday was an emotionally difficult day for Las Vegas, the growing metro area of more than two million residents that prided itself on its 24-hour lifestyle and swagger in its step.

 

But a man with weapons and ammo set up a shooting perch in a Mandalay Bay corner suite 365 days ago and rained bullets on country music fans enjoying an outdoor festival on the Strip shortly after 10 p.m.

 

The shooting spree that killed 58 people and injured more than 500 others came only a few hours after the Golden Knights played their last preseason game before their inaugural 2017-18 season.

 

The VGK season came intertwined with the city’s healing process this past year, often credited with allowing Las Vegans to somehow cope with the trauma and emotional pain of this savage shooting attack. Last season’s Oct. 10 home-opener still gives VGK fans goosebumps.

 

 

 

So, on Monday, the one-year anniversary of October One, the Golden Knights were there again to help with a day of intense emotions around the Las Vegas area.

 

VGK players thanked ambulance workers in Henderson, gave blood and chatted with blood donors at the Las Vegas Convention Center not too far from the Strip and met workers at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino where the gunman stayed and used as a shooting perch to kill and hurt so many innocent people.

 

Chatty defenseman Nate Schmidt has to sit out the season’s first 20 games for violating the NHL’s drug policy, but he was in mid-season form when it came to schmoozing with blood donors at the convention center’s north hall second floor.

 

“It was surreal,” Alexander said of talking with Schmidt after he gave blood. Alexander noted he went to the Oct. 10, 2017 home-opener with his pals.

 

Schmidt also cruised by Monica Alvarez and her boyfriend, Carlos Carrillo, who both gave blood. The Los Angeles couple survived the vicious gun attack on the Harvest Route 91 country music festival and were in Las Vegas this past weekend for one-year anniversary events. Here’s a photo of Schmidt with Carrillo (left) and Alvarez (right).

 

“It’s great having them all here,” Alvarez said.

 

Other VGK players gave blood like defenseman Colin Miller and new centerman Paul Stastny.

 

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As Miller sat back in his chair, he told LVSportsBiz.com, “It changed Vegas forever and through it all it brought everyone together.”

 

Sitting right next to Miller giving blood was Jessica Clatterbuck, who noted her husband was a first responder and was in a crew that was among the first to get to the outdoor concert site on the Strip.

 

“It’s sad to remember what happened,” Clatterbuck said. “But it is exciting to see how our community came together. I came down to do my small part.”

 

 

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