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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The Golden Knights should be able to generate about another $200,000 in game-day revenue at their home games at T-Mobile Arena after the four-year-old NHL team and arena received approval to increase attendance capacity to 20 percent starting Monday from 15 percent for the first two home games in March.
Majority team owner Bill Foley said in a media report that the Vegas Golden Knights generated game-day revenue of about $600,000. By upping capacity by 33 percent — or another 860 fans or so — a 33 percent increase in game game revenue would mean another estimated $200,000 in in-game income thanks to the capacity increase. That also means when the arena is packed to more than capacity, the Golden Knights are generating more than $3 million a game at home.
The Golden Knights play the San Jose Sharks Monday and Wednesday of next week when the fan capacity increases to 3,473 fans from 2,605. There are three more home games in March for the Knights.
Foley also said in the media report that the team raised $50 million in capital from its business partners during the novel coronavirus pandemic, while the Knights also received a $30 million advance from the National Hockey league to help cover expenses.
He also had noted the Knights had paid more than $500,000 to part-time arena and part-time team staffers for the four cancelled home games at the end of regular season last year when the NHL season was paused a year ago because of the COVID pandemic.
The Golden Knights play the St. Louis Blues today and Saturday without former Blues player Alex Pietrangelo, who is injured Meanwhile, VGK goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was placed on the NHL COVID protocol list Thursday.
VGK coach Pete DeBoer said Fleury is isolating in a hotel room. Two goalie back-ups — Logan Thompson and Dylan Ferguson — are now with the team with Fleury on the COVID list and Robin Lehner conditioning in Henderson.
Here are the various reasons why a player makes the NHL COVID protocol list:
Some VGK schedule updates:
- Game #162, Vegas at San Jose, originally scheduled for Feb. 25, is now scheduled for Friday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET
- Game #325, Vegas at Anaheim, originally scheduled for April 23, is now scheduled for Saturday, April 24 at 9 p.m. ET