Las Vegas, N.V.– With its legalized gambling, world-renowned restaurants, magic shows, and acrobatic circus acts, Las Vegas is widely viewed as the entertainment capital of the world. The Strip has something for everyone and attracts an unfathomable amount of foot traffic every day. On Tuesday, a good chunk of that traffic flocked to T-Mobile Arena for the Vegas Golden Knights’ home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Golden Knights are known for their pregame theatrics, and they didn’t cut any corners in their 10th season. The ‘Season X’ pregame show included a walk down memory lane with a nostalgic video, and finished with a call to the city’s rich history with neon signs.
Even before puck drop, the building was electric.
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The good time certainly didn’t stop when the Golden Knights struck first. After spending most of the 2025-26 season playing catch-up, the fans were all-too eager to cheer as their team took a two-goal lead and spent the rest of the night fending off every push that the Connor Bedard-less Blackhawks could muster. And in the end, when the final horn sounded on a 5-2 Golden Knights victory, well, they liked that too.
1. A Milestone Knight
Usually, an NHL debut is enough cause for celebration. But tonight, 20-year-old Trevor Connelly killed two birds with one stone and became the second-ever Golden Knight to score a goal in his NHL debut.
“I mean, it’s incredible,” said Jack Eichel about Connelly’s milestone. “You see his family here before the game; it’s his first NHL game. He’s been awesome all camp. He’s a great part of our locker room, and he’s obviously a special player. [I’m] so happy to see him get his first, definitely a night and a moment that he’ll never forget.”
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Eichel, too, hit a pretty big milestone tonight. With a goal and two assists, Eichel recorded his 700th career point.
“I’ve been really lucky and grateful to be a part of this organization,” said Eichel following the 5-2 win. “But I think those things just come kind of organically. I’ve played with some great players in my career, and like I said, those things kind of just come. Yeah, it was cool.”
2. Guess Who’s Back, Back Again?
There’s been a fair bit of chatter about the Golden Knights’ new-look power play heading into the season. There are questions about how they’ll replace Pavel Dortofeyev’s 25 power play goals, and how the top unit will fare without a one-time option for Jack Eichel. They went 1-4 tonight against the Blackhawks.
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Who scored the lone goal? Why, Victor Olofsson, of course!
After a partial change, Olofsson found himself out on the ice with most of the top unit. Shea Theodore left the puck for Jack Eichel at center ice, and Eichel found Olofsson entering the zone with a full head of steam. In his first game back with the Golden Knights, Olofsson flew towards the left dot and ripped a shot past Spencer Knight.
It’s far too early to form conclusions about the power play. However, one thing is for certain: Victor Olofsson sure does know how to score goals.
3. Meet the New Boss…
Ryan Craig has been working up to his first game as an NHL head coach for a long, long time. He spent six years serving as an assistant coach for the Golden Knights, then three years as the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights. Now, he’s back behind an NHL bench, and this time, he’s the boss.
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It only took Craig one game to record his first win as head coach.
“I don’t think anyone in this locker room is surprised,” said Jack Eichel postgame. “Craiger’s an unbelievable person, and a great leader. It’s been a really seamless transition. He’s done a great job in the meetings, before the game, on the bench.
“I’m so happy to have this opportunity, and it’s so deserved,” Eichel continued. “He’s been in the organization for a while. It was a pleasure when he was on the bench a few years ago, and now to have him back, it’s great. For him, I’m sure this is a special moment as well, his first win as a head coach. So, super happy for him, and plenty more.”
Craig, who has been fielding questions about ‘firsts’ like a champ for the past two weeks, understandably wasn’t too interested in talking about himself following the 5-2 victory.
“It’s nice to have my family here to witness the first win,” he said following the game. “Proud of our guys and our effort, and we’ll get back to work.”
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