Salt Lake City was the "last stop" of the Golden Knights' summer road trip on Friday, and it is "clear the reach of the franchise is growing," according to Christopher Kamrani of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. The tour includes stops in Reno and Boise in addition to the Utah capital, and the fan turnout has "reached as much as a thousand." Before Golden Knights D Nate Schmidt "agreed to come on the road trip, he heard rough estimates of how many fans would be" at the different stops. He said that they have "nearly doubled in actual turnout since." Kmarani noted the Avalanche, Kings, Sharks and Ducks are "staples out West" for the NHL and have "long been a fabric of the league’s growth." But with the Golden Knights, there is "something different" and the club has "clearly made an imprint on the region." Team Owner Bill Foley "envisioned his club being the team of the desert and of the Rocky Mountains." Golden Knights TV color analyst Shane Hnidy said, "We’ve been welcomed everywhere. I think it’s a team that people want to grab a hold of" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 8/11).
UNDERDOG IS HERE: Golden Knights VP/Marketing Kim Frank said of the road trip, "We know we have fans in our extended market and we wanted to show everybody the love, and this is a fun way to do it. We are a few hours away, but that doesn’t mean we’re not part of their community as well." In Las Vegas, Colton Lochhead noted the four cities on the road trip were "within the team's TV distribution area" with AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain. Golden Knights D Brad Hunt "credited the fans in Las Vegas as well as those ... throughout the Rocky Mountain region in supporting the expansion underdogs throughout their improbable season and playoff run" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 8/7).
UPPING THEIR GAME? In Las Vegas, Jesse Granger notes the Knights' pregame festivities gained national notoriety during the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final. Foley said he wants the "same program" this coming season, but also has a "few ideas to elaborate." Foley: "I have this military background, and I have this vision of the knight and the warrior class. Sometimes they get a little too froufrou. Maybe a little less playful and a little more serious this year. We can change a few things" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 8/13).
