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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — When the Vegas Golden Knights hit the ice tonight, they were wearing their West Point steel gray uniforms.
And those steel grays pay homage to owner Bill Foley’s West Point days. The West Pointers dress in those grays.
A 1967 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Foley served in the U.S. Air Force before launching a wide-ranging business career from serving as chairman of Fidelity National Financial to running a bevy of West Coast wineries and now owning a roster of global soccer teams.
And his next Foley Sports Inc. endeavor is pursuing an NBA team, which would provide another 40-45 home dates for T-Mobile Arena. Foley owns 15 percent of T-Mobile Arena, with the arena’s builders, MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group, owning the other 85 percent.
Foley’s people looked at Major League Soccer for Las Vegas and passed. But Foley does own AFC Bournemouth of the Premier League and Auckland FC in the A-Leagues with ownership stakes in Lorient FC and Hibernian FC.
Foley’s Golden Knights started strong against Anaheim, which was in Las Vegas after playing last night in Salt Lake City where the Ducks beat the Utah club in a shootout.
VGK winger Keegan Kolesar came in on a breakaway while trying to kill a penalty and failed to get a shot off. But he retrieved the puck and backhanded a pass to Tanner Pearson, who found the back of the net for a shorthanded goal. The puck beat Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal, who had just replaced starter John Gibson. Gibson suffered an injured eye after taking a stick blade to his face from VGK center Tanner Laczynski.
After a scoreless second period, the Ducks tied the game at one all early in the third period.
The Golden Knights had their chances.
They just couldn’t finish for goals.
The VGK assist leader, Jack Eichel, then found Tomas Hertl in front of the Anaheim net and Hertl made a nice move to get around Dostal and tuck the puck into the net for a Vegas 2-1 advantage.
The big crowd roared with approval.
A nice takeaway by Hertl set up a William Karlsson pass to Keegan Kolesar at the doorstep and Kolesar notched his ninth of the season to give the VGK some breathing room and a 3-1 lead late in the third period.
VGK goalie Adin Hill played well throughout, including making several clutch saves to keep the game locked at one each in the third period.
The VGK announced attendance at 18,009, including this fella.
And that was your final: Vegas 3 Anaheim 1
We asked VGK coach Bruce Cassidy about Eichel’s heightened presence and Cassidy responded by explaining that Eichel now asserts himself more these days. Cassidy used a basketball analogy — “wanting the ball” — to illustrate Eichel’s confidence to lead the VGK.
Eichel notched his 36th assist of the season on the Hertl game-winner.
Vegas is now 23-8-3 for 49 points, leading the Pacific Division.
Happy Holidays from LVSportsBiz.com.