By Alan Snel for LVSportsBiz.com
By any standard, the Golden Knights players are a likable bunch and that makes them candidates to endorse local Las Vegas products. They’re not exactly glitzy, showy or known for showing much razzmatazz (in public, anyway).
But they have enormous star power in a market where fans treat them as kings (just not Los Angeles Kings).
In the past, forward William Karlsson was tapped for his Swedish roots by Findlay Volvo Cars to serve as an advertisement frontman for the car dealership.
And defenseman Deryk Engelland, seen as a community leader for his Oct. 10, 2017 pregame speech nine days after the mass shooting on the Strip and for his Vegas Born Heroes Foundation, is a pitchman for Findlay Automotive Group, too.
Just this morning, forward Max Pacioretty said he did a recent endorsement job for Toyota.
“Schmidty (VGK defenseman Nate Schmidt) just texted me about it the other day,” Pacioretty said at his locker after an 11 a.m. practice at City National Arena today.
In fact, Pacioretty’s agent, Allan Walsh of Octagon, also posted a Tweet about this last month.
Pacioretty’s linemate, Paul Stastny, was sitting next to the Toyota spokesman and joked with his teammate, “We’d be a marketing nightmare.”
Schmidt knows all about car endorsements because he picked up a side job as a pitchman for Henderson Hyundai. In a TV spot, he’s wearing a Golden Knights jersey with his 88 number, but the Golden Knights logo is not on the front of the hockey sweater.
Schmidt’s “acting” ability is in full bloom here:
That’s the thing about Schmidt — who is not playing because of a leg injury — it’s difficult to ascertain the difference between his enthusiastic salesmanship in the Hyundai spot and his regular personality.
You might recall VGK’s feisty forward, Jonathan Marchessault, drove a Lamborghini during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs — giving that brand some extra pub.
A popular face around Las Vegas is hard-hitting forward Ryan Reaves, who gets a lot of air time for his local water district PSA advising homeowners to not waste water.
Reaves, who does have a craft beer in Las Vegas, told LVSportsBiz.com that he would welcome a pitchman job with Audi (hint hint, Audi).
Meanwhile, forward Reilly Smith mentioned, “I’m not a spokesman for anyone right now.”
But if he did have to endorse a car in a commercial, Smith said he would do a Range Rover spot — another hint from a VGK player.
Rookie forward Cody Glass seems like he would be the ideal endorser for a glass company — or at least a car windshield provider.
He doesn’t have any deals brewing. But he noted, “I’m keeping my options open.”
And then there’s good ol’ Jake Bischoff, a Steady Eddie-style defenseman who doesn’t have the flash to endorse a Lambo or even a Mercedes.
But if Bischoff did have to be a pitchman for a car dealer, here’s the vehicle he would endorse: “Ford truck.”
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