The expansion Golden Knights will "strive to emulate" the Predators' Nashville model as they "build Nevada’s first major pro sports franchise," according to Adam Candee of the LAS VEGAS SUN. Golden Knights Senior VP & CMO Nehme Abouzeid said, "The Nashville-type euphoria that is happening now that they’re in the finals, there’s no reason that can’t happen here." The Golden Knights are also studying the Sharks, Lightning and Ducks for "ideas on how to thrive in non-traditional hockey markets." Abouzeid also "plans to cash in on the constant rotation of stars who come to Las Vegas throughout the year" to spark interest in the club. Abouzeid: “We want to leverage the entertainment corridor on the Strip.” But he added, "A lot of this has to be organic, too. The catfish (in Nashville), the octopus in Detroit, those were all organic things. We can’t just manufacture it.” Abouzeid said Las Vegas has a "lot of history to play on, a lot of heritage, whether it’s jingling slot machines, whether it’s the sound of an imploding hotel." Abouzeid: "It could be a jet fighter that takes off from Nellis Air Force Base. There’s a lot of sound elements that are native to Las Vegas. There’s a lot of entertainment elements and things. Years ago, you would have envisioned the Rat Pack. Nowadays, people envision DJs. Certainly there will be some uniquely Vegas elements in our game presentation and our overall marketing experience. We don’t want to have a team where you could pick up the team and drop it in any city" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/9).
