USA Hockey Magazine

JULY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 25 JULY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 25 As is usually the case in both established hockey markets and those sprouting up in the desert, it comes down to available ice. Foley and his group have built two-sheet facilities in Summerlin and in nearby Henderson, where the Silver Knights, the team's AHL affiliate, practices and plays since the Golden Knights first arrived. Without any concrete plans on the books, those in the know say that given Foley's forward thinking more rinks are bound to pop up in the foreseeable future. "We know we need more ice. We know we need to build over the long term, at least one, maybe two more facilities," said Eliot, who is also serving as the president of the Nevada Amateur Hockey Association. "Mr. Foley has even talked about that as far back as October that we need to do that. When that exactly happens is the question." Whenever that may be, Eliot said the foundation is already in place to handle the groundswell of interest that has been there since the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their very first sea- son. That unusual level of success right out of the blocks is something that doesn't happen often in sports, said Eliot, who previously worked with the NHL expansion franchise in Atlanta. "Typically, you see a spike when a team wins a Stanley Cup," said the former NHL goaltender. "I don't know that we'll necessarily see that here because they've been good since day one with four conference finals, two Stanley Cup Finals and the Stanley Cup Championship in six years." It's not just the NHL team's success that can be attributed to the growth in grassroots num- bers. The Golden Knights have recruited a talented staff that has years of experience in run- ning youth programs in other markets and have brought the best practices to incorporate into their own curriculum. Giving newcomers the proper foundation, every Golden Knights program starts with Learn to Skate and Learn to Play sessions. From there it's onto the Lil' Knights program and then to a house league team. That steady progression is not only evident in the total number of players but in the quality of youngsters who are ready to make their mark on the national stage. On the girls' side, the same earmarks of growth have many excited for the future, including the first USA Hockey National Championship eligible team at the 14 & Under level. That success, said Hudspeth, starts at the top. "Mr. Foley and [president of hockey operations] George McPhee are big advocates of girls hockey. And Darren Elliot understands the importance of having female leadership and females in the game," said the former Minnesota State Mankato player. "From Darren down, and then all the coaches that we have who are very supportive of helping out the girls, it's really a collaborative effort of everyone in the organi- zation wanting to help grow both the boys' and the girls' side." When Bill Foley and his Black Knights Sports & Entertainment Group first proposed bringing hockey to town back in 2016, there were those around the game who laughed off the idea as nothing more than a long shot. But in a city that has staked its very existence on beating the odds, there's no doubt that the future of hockey in the desert is as sure a bet as you'll find anywhere on the Strip. P IT'S REALLY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF EVERYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION WANTING TO HELP GROW BOTH THE BOYS' AND THE GIRLS' SIDE."

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