The Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup with a resounding 9-3 victory over the Florida Panthers to win it all in 5 games. For Vegas, this is their first Stanley Cup championship but in only the 6th year as a franchise.
The 6th year thing comes as a big deal as Bill Foley, the Golden Knights owner, said before the franchise even played a game that they’d win the Cup in six year. The prophecy that he put out there has come into fruition as reality, unbelievably so in many ways.
Bill Foley took a gamble on bringing a professional hockey franchise to Vegas. The market didn’t seem rip for sports previously despite it being the sports gambling capital of the world. It wasn’t supposed to work but Foley saw the vision and in typical Vegas fashion, played his cards to see what would happen. A gamble that paid off big-time.
This mindset and this philosophy didn’t end with that. Since the franchise’s inception, there have been big gambles time and again. They have built their team this way over the years. Original general manager George McPhee was the architect behind the expansion draft that looked questionable in real time but was a major victory in hindsight. That group of misfits that was picked to finish dead last by many made it all the way to the Cup final in year one before succumbing to the Capitals in 5 games. They didn’t let that get them down, they kept pushing.
The Golden Knights have not built this team in any way that’s seen as traditional and they keep throwing all their chips in the middle of the table. Big move after big move have occurred with this team. It feels like every year they do something major to change the formula.
They are simultaneously not afraid to pivot but also double down at the same time. This being with players and coaches alike. They are aggressive when they feel the need to do something when what they have stops working the way they want. They don’t hold onto things so long just because that’s how it has to be. They instead move forward with an altered blueprint as they identify the issues and aggressive solve problems that other teams hesitate to do. It has lead to some mistakes sure but their ability to pivot and figure it out so quickly has been a big part of their success.
It isn’t just the big moves either. A lot of the lower-end moves for under-appreciated players from elsewhere has paid off too. It started at the expansion draft but didn’t end there. Far from it. They have been awesome at identifying players that they think can be better with them.
They have taken gambles in every sense of the word. All the big moves and sacrificing draft capital and top prospects and having high cap hits are major gambles. Taking chances on lesser-known or given-up-on players is also a major risk. Vegas has continually taken all those gambles. In a city known for gambling, the Vegas Golden Knights have embraced an approach that resembles the city.
The results? 3 division titles, 5 playoff appearances, 4 conference final/semifinal appearances, 2 Cup Final Appearances and now the Stanley Cup championship. All in just six years. A major success. They have been the second most successful NHL franchise since 2017 only behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.
For all of it, the Vegas Golden Knights are rewarded with hockey’s ultimate prize. They are the Stanley Cup Champions! They get the parade. They get the summer with the Cup. Their names will all be etched on that trophy forever. Nobody can take this away from them. They have achieved hockey immortality.
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