By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
LVSportsBiz.com photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
Marc-Andre Fleury sat at his corner locker and was still amazed at the fan atmosphere inside T-Mobile Arena in season two — even after the Vegas Golden Knights’ electrifying run to the Stanley Cup Finals in year one.
“It’s a hockey game with entertainment,” Fleury said after the Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 3-1, before 18,375 fans Saturday night. The VGK would have scored seven or eight goals if not for the stand-on-his-head performance of Ducks goalie John Gibson, coach Gerard Gallant said after the game.
If you thought the fans packed T-Mobile Arena way beyond capacity in season one, then you’re in for big news from the VGK’s first three home games of the 2018-19 season. The Knights are averaging 18,417 in attendance and filling the arena to 106 percent of capacity after three home dates.
That arena attendance capacity of 106 percent is good for second in the National Hockey League, trailing only Chicago at 109 percent.
“Our fans are outstanding,” Gallant said. “They help us.”
In year one, the Golden Knights averaged more than 18,000 a game and filled the arena at 104 percent of capacity, which is considered 17,367.
Fueled with 14,000 full season ticket holders, expect crowd attendance to easily pass 18,000 every game this season at T-Mobile Arena. It’s going to be sellouts from here on in for 2018-19 — and a lot more than the official capacity each game.
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Fleury told LVSportsBiz.com after tonight’s win that he still marvels at the fans’ impact on the game. One of those fans was ex-NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, who personally greeted each player as they came through the mirrored corridor from the bench to the locker room.
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