Story by Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
They’re quite the Odd Couple, Las Vegas’ two major sports teams.
The Vegas Golden Knights and the Las Vegas Raiders shared a ballfield at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin Monday.
That’s about the only thing they share. The Golden Knights were born here in Las Vegas. The Raiders migrated here from Oakland.
Like most NHL teams, the Golden Knights are run by older white men and are diversity-challenged. The Raiders have a legacy of standing up for racial justice and hiring the first Black and Latino coaches, the first woman CEO and the first Black team president.
But those differences in franchises and cultures were put aside for one night as the Raiders and Knights played softball for charity — the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, Communities in Schools Nevada and Maximum Hope Foundation.
The Golden Knights are a team not only in transition but an NHL trying to forge a new identity entering Year 6 after cultivating a strong emotional bond with a market that never had a big league team.
The big crowd at the Triple-A ballpark in Downtown Summerlin embraced old favorites like former VGKers Nate Schmidt, Ryan Reaves and Erik Haula. The Knights, coming off their first non-playoff season, are counting on comebacks from injured players like forward Mark Stone and goaltender Robin Lehner to reach the postseason in Season 6.
The charity event is Battle 4 Vegas and the ballpark was packed.