Golden Knights + Demolition Ceremony = Fun Times In Henderson Monday Morning For New Ice Center
By Daniel Clark and Alan Snel
LVSportsBiz.com
LVSportsBiz.com photos by Daniel Clark
Henderson might not be Las Vegas. But when the Vegas Golden Knights show up in your city, anything goes for a ceremonial building demolition event like breaking a window with a player’s wrist shot at the old convention center that eventually will be razed to make way for a $25 million community ice skating and hockey center.
Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland arrived in something the Golden Knights called a battlewagon. And the VGK player, seen as the team’s community ambassador as well as veteran D-man, practiced his wrist shot by firing hockey pucks and breaking glass at the old convention center.
The city is giving the Golden Knights more than $10 million so that the VGK can build the community ice facility on 3.2 acres at the corner of Water Street and Atlantic Avenue in the Water Street District of what is the suburban city’s downtown.
Golden Knights TV broadcaster Dave Goucher and game presentation emcee Wayne Danielson who goes by the “Big D” moniker were on hand to stoke the Monday morning crowd that gathered for the ceremony. The crowd watched the demolition begin.
Henderson elected officials were thrilled to get the Golden Knights presence in their city center. Henderson may play the Second City little brother role next to Las Vegas, but it’s the second biggest city in Nevada with a robust trail system and growing sports scene. The city officials also celebrated the NFl Raiders building a new headquarters and training center not too far from the Henderson Executive Airport.
In the case of the ice center, the 20-year deal includes the city of Henderson demolishing the convention center and preparing a pad for the Golden Knights to build the facility, which will include two ice rinks, a restaurant, meeting room and VGK retail space. The Knights believe the ice center can be built in a year, opening in July 2020.
The Knights, a money-generating juggernaut and always looking for some new revenue streams, will be selling the naming rights to a company or business for the ice center in Henderson just like the NHL team did for City National Arena in Summerlin. City National Bank has a business office less than a half-mile away from the Summerlin arena.
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