LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's Opening Knight as the Vegas Golden Knights get ready to officially put a bow on their Stanley Cup Championship and hit the ice to defend their title.
Tonight, VGK will open the regular season by taking on the Seattle Kraken. But first, the team will see their championship banner lifted to the top of T-Mobile Arena.
"It's going to be a lot of mixed emotions to see it go up. I think it's a little bit at the end of the achievement that we did," Jonathan Marchessault said. "We got to turn the page. It's a new season. It's sad at the same time but all the memories are definitely stuck in our brains and it's going to be a fun event."
The first game in franchise history was exactly six years ago, Oct. 10, 2017. That night, then-VGK player Deryk Engelland gave a moving speech in the aftermath of the 1 October tragedy.
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"It feels like it was yesterday. It was definitely a remarkable moment for the world but especially the people in Las Vegas," Marchessault said. "It was, obviously, a great speech from Deryk. It must be hard to be put in that position to speak to the world like that but he did a great job. October in Vegas, we will always remember."
Seeing the banner go up six years later also made owner Bill Foley's prediction come true. When the banner goes up tonight, players and coaches said it's back to business.
"There's going to be some pressure off knowing that we've done it. But having done it, it makes you want to want to do it even more now. That enjoyment, the journey, the experience, it's a lot of fun along the way," Jack Eichel said. "There's no better feeling than being the last team standing and that's our goal here again. We've accomplished a lifelong dream of ours as hockey players but it hasn't changed anything. You go into the season trying to win every game and it's no different."
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And some said they're glad they're facing an aggressive team like the Seattle Kraken right out of the gate.
"For us, it's a good way to start the season because it helps us get our legs underneath us," Alex Pietrangelo said. "That switch will flip because I don't think the other team really cares. As soon as that puck drops, it's a new season."
It's a sentiment echoed by head coach Bruce Cassidy.
"Once the puck drops, everyone starts at zero. We know that," Cassidy said. "I think we're a professional group so we'll be focused and ready to go. It's trying to get ourselves grounded and getting to our game in a hurry. That will be our focus in the first period."
The Scripps Sports and Vegas Golden Knights pre-game special is scheduled to start 6 p.m. You can watch it on Channel 13, Vegas 34, and KnightTime+.