It won’t be as grand and glamorous when owner Bill Foley unveiled the Vegas Golden Knights’ name and logo, but it will be a big day for the organization nonetheless when they announce the same aesthetics for AHL Henderson on Thursday.
The Golden Knights will hold a reveal at 7 p.m. PT to be broadcast on KSNV Channel 3. The one-hour special will also stream on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch.
“Three short years ago we were gearing up to unveil the NHL’s newest franchise: The Vegas Golden Knights,” said Golden Knights president Kerry Bubolz in a statement provided by the team on Tuesday. “Today, we’re more than excited to find ourselves back where we started as we prepare to launch our new AHL franchise in Henderson. We had hoped to celebrate the day with our fans in person, but with the health and safety of our community at the forefront of our decision- making, we have decided to take a virtual approach.”
This will culminate what seemed like a rapid process to get the Golden Knights their own, in-house AHL affiliate. The wheels started turning on Feb. 6 when the Golden Knights purchased the San Antonio Rampage for relocation to Southern Nevada, to which the AHL approved the transaction on Feb. 28. One week after purchasing the Rampage, the Golden Knights announced intentions of building a 6,000-seat arena at the site of the Henderson Pavilion on Green Valley Parkway and Paseo Verde Parkway.
The Henderson City Council approved construction and funding of the $84 million arena that is set to be completed prior to the 2022-23 season. AHL Henderson will play at least next season at Orleans Arena, the former home to the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. When the season takes place is another discussion. The AHL canceled the remainder of its season on May 11, and with the NHL now entering the infancy stages of its Return to Play gameplan, there’s no clear-cut happenstance on when the AHL will resume.
The Chicago Wolves had been Vegas’ AHL affiliate since their inaugural season. The Wolves made the Calder Cup Playoffs in each season, including a trip to the Calder Cup Final in 2019.
The clubhouse leader for the team name has been the Silver Knights, and unless a drastic change of heart in the bottom of the ninth, that will likely be the team name
“We have no doubt this team will leave a mark on our city just as the Golden Knights have done and we can’t wait for the journey to start,” Bubolz said.