VGK’s Entertainment Production Chief On Nashville Preds Goofing On Knights’ Pregame Show: ‘Brilliant’
By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
Jonny Greco called it a “great honor and a sign of respect.”
Others around the NHL used other adjectives (“mocking” and “hilarious”) after the Nashville Predators Tuesday made fun of the Vegas Golden Knights’ well-known and ultra-dramatic sword-in-the-stone pregame show from the VGK’s inaugural season in 2017-18.
Before the game’s face-off in Nashville, Tennessee matching the last two Western Conference champs, the Predators had a spotlight shining on a character actor playing a knight with a big rock in front of him as a parody of the VGK pregame show from the first season. (The Golden Knights have not used the sword-in-stone this season — yet.) While the knight was telling the Preds crowd about Las Vegas to a strong round of boos, the Predators’ own mascot called “Gnash” was lowered from the rafters to the ice. The Preds mascot then picked up a guitar and bashed the knight character with it to the delight of Predators fans. The knight character crumbled to the ice as the gleeful Preds fans screamed with delight.
On Wednesday, LVSportsBiz.com reached out to Greco, the VGK vice president for entertainment production for a reaction to the Preds and their saber-tooth tiger mascot making fun of the Knights’ pregame show.
Greco wrote in an email: “Imitation is the highest form of flattery! Nashville has had one of the most memorable shows with great entertainment and fans for a long time and for them to include some of the Vegas flavor in their show is a great honor and sign of respect. Creative, fun, playful and super unique to our team coming to town. Thought it was brilliant!”
Predators President Sean Henry said his team likes to include any visiting team tradition in the pregame when there’s a chance: “We love celebrating each and every game in our own unique way. We have the best fans in sports and they drive so many fun ways to cheer our team on that whenever we have an opportunity to add to our in game experience while incorporating some of the traditions of the visiting team we do so.”
The affable Greco was very professional in his comments. And I have a feeling the Golden Knights might just have a little pregame trick up their sleeves when the Predators visit T-Mobile Arena Jan. 23. After all, it’s Las Vegas and there’s always gamesmanship and entertainment reputation at stake.
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The Golden Knights are on the road Thursday night with a game against the St. Louis Blues. Game time is 5 p.m., Las Vegas time. The Knights return to home ice Saturday night when the Carolina Hurricanes arrive at T-Mobile Arena for the 7 p.m. face-off.
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