Golden Knights Using Esports to Connect with Fans — and Convert Others Into Fans
By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
Golden Knights TV broadcaster Dave Goucher is a talented play-by-play sportscaster, but who knew the hockey voice of the VGK was an esports play-by-play man, too?
But there he was Tuesday afternoon in the HyperX Esports Arena at Luxor hotel-casino, hosting an esports go-kart competition on the VGKTwitch channel on Twitch.tv
The Golden Knights are bullish on esports, looking at the new big-time world of video games as yet another way to connect with fans and convert esports-loving local millennials into new VGK fans. Announcer Goucher, wearing a black T-shirt and Golden Knights-theme blazer, sported a Miami Vice Sonny Crockett look. Goucher was joined at the announcing table by Troy Welling, an esports ambassador at the arena — which sounds like a fun job.
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“There’s actually some strategy with Mario Kart,” Welling told the Twitch.tv viewers and a live audience of VGK fans, including some of whom wore Knights jerseys. Mascot Chance and the VGK cheerleaders were also in the esports venue at Luxor.
The Golden Knights players in the video game house Tuesday were VGK Player Arcade gamers Alex Tuch, Erik Haula, Colin Miller and Nate Schmidt. Fresh off a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild Monday afternoon, the foursome were playing Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. (Technically, Haula was not playing Monday because he’s on IR with a knee injury and month-to-month.)
And Colin Miller playing hockey:
About a month ago, Tuch had played the popular Fortnite video game at the same venue with VGK players William Karlsson and Malcolm Subban.
The Golden Knights launched their own channel on Twitch in April.
The Golden Knights return to the ice Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game with the Nashville Predators. LVSportsBiz.com returns to the Top of the Escalator for our pregame show interviewing fans on the main concourse.
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