Foley Sports Inc.: Golden Knights Games Used As Platform To Promote VGK Owner Bill Foley’s Businesses; VGK Stage Comeback To Deliver 4-3 OT Win Over Colorado Sunday

April 14, 2024April 14, 2024 Alan Snel Adin Hill, Bill Foley, Bruce Cassidy, Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson

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Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne and J. Tyge O’Donnell

Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley is a unique businessman.

The 1967 West Point graduate has a varied business portfolio, some of which is on display and deployed at Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena (Foley owns 15 percent of the arena that sits just off the Strip.)

Before Friday’s VGK-Minnesota Wild game, a table with Bournemouth soccer team logo gear was set up near the top of the arena’s main escalators to help promote Foley’s soccer team that plays in the Premier League. Foley bought Bournemouth in 2022. The Cherries, as the Bournemouth club is nicknamed, and Manchester United played to a 2-2 draw Saturday.

Only three months ago, Foley even purchased a minority stake in Hibernian FC, a Scottish soccer team based in Edinburgh with a history that traces back to 1875.

Here in Las Vegas, Bournemouth has a presence. Golden Knights fans could schmooze with workers about Bournemouth before the VGK game against Minnesota two days ago.

Foley is not your typical NHL owner. His business interests run the gamut from wineries to restaurants to a new soccer team in New Zealand where he has wineries.

He also uses Golden Knights home games to cross-promote his whiskey on a promotional video on the VGK arena’s center jumbotron during first intermissions.

Then, there are his wines that are available at two wine bars in T-Mobile Arena on the main concourse.

Foley is working on the final stages of a new Bournemouth training facility before the Golden Knights owner decides on building a new soccer stadium or expanding the current soccer venue. Foley has already done some significant renovations on the current stadium.

Sky Sports interviewed Foley recently inside the training facility.

During Friday’s Vegas Golden Knights game, Foley’s team even used the second intermission between periods two and three to promote the Bournemouth team via a fan promotion activity.

A game after the Golden Knights clinched a playoff spot, the Knights Sunday afternoon hosted the Colorado Avalanche, which won the Stanley Cup championship a year before the VGK did.

Just the facts: Vegas Golden Knights 4 Colorado Avalanche 3 OT

Golden Knights goal scorers: In the third period, Ivan Barbashev put the Knights on the board with a wrap-around goal, his 19th of the season. At the time, it made the score, 3-1, in favor of Colorado. Then, William Karlsson went to work. Karlsson scored a power play goal by nailing a wrister to the far side and then he tied the game at three with his 30th goal of the season. Tomas Hertl redirected Jack Eichel’s shot and won the game in OT with a power play goal.

Storyline: VGK looked sleepy for the first two periods during the matinee before coming to life in period three with three straight goals to tie the game at three apiece and win the contest in OT.

Attendance: 18,239

Vegas concern: VGK goalie Adin Hill allowed a cheapie goal in the first period as Colorado jumped out to a 1-0 lead en route to a 3-0 lead.

Coach Bruce Cassidy postgame remarks: “We found another gear.” He called Karlsson a “consistent 200-foot player” and said he encourages Karlsson to shoot the puck more.