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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The Las Vegas Raiders had no fans last year at Allegiant Stadium, while the Vegas Golden Knights began their season with no fans before fan capacity started at 15 percent and hit 22 percent at T-Mobile Arena the last time the Knights played a home game.
But Clark County has given permission to the Vegas Golden Knights to have 50 percent capacity starting with Friday’s Golden Knights vs St. Louis Blues game, which means half of the 17,367 fixed seats can potentially be filled.
That’s 8,683 fans inside a venue.
It’s a big deal for a town that thrives and lives off live the adrenalin rush and collective buzz of live events.
During those pre-pandemic times, the Golden Knights filled the arena with more than 18,000 fans, or about 105 percent of capacity. It was one of the highest capacity percentages in the 31-team National Hockey League.
Without fans at Raiders or Golden Knights games, it was not sports events. Instead, it was elite sports competition among male athletes dressed in brilliant uniforms playing in technologically-advances venues.
The emotional electricity generated by live human beings — not cardboard cutout replicas — gives these games the emotional juice that turns sports events into lifetime memories.
We shall get a stronger dose of fan power Friday when the Golden Knights host the Blues at T-Mobile Arena.
More fans and more open seats mean less demand and lower prices. Friday’s game tickets start at $57. Take a look at the prices as of Tuesday evening.
VGK coach Pete DeBoer today discussed playing the same teams in the division and the fact every team will be very familiar with each other during the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Knights play the Minnesota Wild in Minnesota Wednesday, then return to Las Vegas for games against the fourth-place St. Louis Blues Friday and Saturday. Knights high-scoring winger Max Pacioretty is day-to-day, but does not have a long-term injury issue, DeBoer said.
PSA