By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The Golden Knights fans are not here at the Big Ice House by the Strip — and their ticket revenue is gone, too, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But there are revenue streams for the Vegas Golden Knights, which have piled up more than 100 sponsors since the team started play in the National Hockey League in the 2017-18 season.
While the NHL drew some attention for sponsor stickers being displayed on player helmets as a new revenue source, the Golden Knights still have eight company logos on the ice surface at T-Mobile Arena. There are four sponsors at center ice between the blue lines: Allegiant, Credit One Bank, City National Bank and Toyota.
And there are also two corporate logos on the ice flanking both goal nets: LiUNA Local Union 872, Southwest Medical, NV Energy and Yes Air Conditioning & Plumbing.
Plus, there are the sponsors on tarps covering bottom bowl sections near the two team benches and behind the goals like Lee’s Discount Liquor, Silver State Schools Credit Union, Cane’s, Resorts World Las Vegas, PT’s Taverns, New Amsterdam Vodka, UMC, Green Valley Grocery, Caesars Rewards and LiUNA!, which gets another mention on or near the ice. You can see the tarps in this photo after Tuesday’s game.
The bottom bowl seats in the arena that typically draws more than 18,000 fans a game has seat covers in red and gold to remind TV game viewers about the VGK new hockey sweaters in red and gold.
Naturally, the rink’s boards are covered with ad banners hyping companies like MGM Resorts, William Hill, The D, Circa Sports and Geico.
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And the first period between tonight’s Coyotes vs Golden Knights game even has a sponsor: Dollar Loan Center.
The Knights played their best game of the young, 56-game shortened season tonight, defeating the Coyotes, 5-2, to win their fourth consecutive game of the pandemic season. VGK goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 21 of 23 shots in goal to record the win. “I thought our game overall was better tonight than the night before and the big guys led the way on the scoresheet and in our play,” VGK coach Pete DeBoer said.
As for the game itself? You guessed it, the Arizona/Vegas contest had a sponsor, too: Desert Radiology. And Cox Communications presented the out-of-town scores on the center-hung jumbotron in between the second and third periods. Credit One Bank sponsors the final minute of each 20-minute period.
On the ice, Golden Knights defensemen Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo slammed home goals to give the Knights a 2-0 after one period, while Mark Stone converted a third goal off a Coyotes turnover in period two.
“It was the first game for my kids here and I told them I was going to score,” Pietrangelo said after the game. “It’s funny how things work out.”
Arizona’s Nick Schmaltz countered with a goal at the 11:52 mark to cut into the Knights’ lead and make it, 3-1 VGK, after two periods.
The Knights got goals from Theodore and Alex Tuch (VGK’s first power play goal of the season) in the third period before Arizona ended the scoring.
“I think tonight was our most complete game,” Fleury said. “Last game, Lenny played great and kept us in it and we had a great third period. Tonight, we were just better for a full 60 minutes.”
Final: Vegas 5 Arizona 2.
The Knights hit the road for the first time and play two games in Arizona Friday and Sunday.