Today is the day.
After months of having an expansion franchise without a name or logo, and all the guessing about what the new name could be when the historic day arrived, the Las Vegas franchise will announce both at an unveiling tonight (8:30 p.m. ET) at T-Mobile Arena.
“The Las Vegas community has been with us throughout this incredible process–from the ticket drive to the awarding of a team--and I hope everyone will join us once more as we announce the name and unveil the logo for Las Vegas’s first major professional sports team,” said owner Bill Foley in a statement.
“We have a name and logo that not only reflects the city’s unique environment, but that signifies strength and a team culture that never accepts defeat.”
The Vegas franchise has been incredibly busy, making headlines by assembling an impressive front office and hockey operations department. The focus for that group has already turned toward the expansion draft and entry draft next year.
But finally, the wait for the logo and name is at an end.
“It’s the birth of a brand,” vice-president and chief marketing officer Nehme Abouzeid told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “With the name, we’ll officially be a team.”
In August, the Vegas franchise confirmed three trademarks: the Desert Knights, Golden Knights, and Silver Knights.
Right now, it’s still a guessing game as to what, exactly, the official name will be, although in a radio hit with TSN 1040, hockey insider Bob McKenzie said he’s “reasonably confident” it will not be the Desert Knights. So, you can probably remove that from the board.
“We worked with the NHL and we believe we have come up with something very creative,” Abouzeid continued. “It’s no different than putting on a show on the Strip. A lot of work has gone into this.”