The journey officially started in Bill Foley's mind at some point before pushing in fits and starts towards a reality. The Vegas Golden Knights have moved rapidly from a figment in Foley's imagination into a Stanley Cup finalist.
Foley famously predicted, "playoffs in three and Cup in six," prior to his team's first ever game. Who knew the players assembled by GM George McPhee would try to get it all done in one year?
It's been the most amazing of seasons with touchstone moments and critical decisions steamrolling together to bring the Golden Knights to the brink of the ultimate success.
Here's our list, in no particular order of the key moments, happenings and decisions which brought the Golden Knights to the cusp of the Cup.
A Look At How The Golden Knights Got To Where They Are Today
A timeline of events leading up the Vegas Golden Knights unexpected run in the Stanley Cup Final
Dockside
To hear Golden Knights executive Murray Craven and longtime Foley golfing partner tell it, the first chatter about NHL hockey in Las Vegas caught him off guard.
"I was sitting on my dock in a lounge chair and Bill and his wife Carol pulled up in a boat
The expansion draft netted the Golden Knights the roster which would eventually turn the NHL on its ear. McPhee and McCrimmon had two priorities leading into the expansion draft: to collect players for an immediately competitive roster as well as stockpiling draft picks for the future. They hit a home run but at the center of the evening was the announcement of Marc-Andre Fleury as the team's goaltender. Fleury was the team's regular season MVP and through three rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs has been the best player in the world.
October 1**
No list of the Golden Knights inaugural season is complete without mention of October 1 and the 58 people whose lives were taken that night. The tragedy shook Las Vegas and the entire country. An evening of joy and music turned into terror and heartbreak. Las Vegas was immediately thrust into a pall of fear and grief.
First two wins
The Golden Knights won their first two games of the regular season in dramatic fashion taking the first two on the road in and setting the stage for the home opener at T-Mobile. Fleury was brilliant in both games and veteran winger James Neal potted the winner in Dallas for the team's first win and then scored in OT the next night in Arizona. Neal has forever etched his name in VGK lore, becoming the answer to the trivia question "who scored the first goal in Vegas Golden Knights history?"
Vegas Strong
Video: Engelland gives rousing speech to hometown fans
The team had planned a celebration of hockey, Vegas and the arrival of the Golden Knights but October 1 shootings changed all that. The club used the evening as a starting point for the city to begin to heal. They mourned the deceased, honored the first responders and reached out to the injured. Defenseman and Las Vegas resident Deryk Engelland spoke to the crowd before the game.
"Like all of you, I'm proud to call Las Vegas home," Engelland said to the crowd of 18,191. "I met my wife here. Our kids were born here. I know how special this city is. To all the brave first responders that have worked tirelessly and courageously through this whole tragedy, we thank you.
To the families and friends of the victims, we'll do everything we can to help you and our city heal.
We are Vegas Strong."
Homestand
October 2017 will forever be remembered as one of the most difficult months in Vegas history. On the ice, the Golden Knights kicked off their season in remarkable fashion reeling off six home wins in October to finish their opening month with an 8-3 mark which immediately got the hockey world's attention.
Goalie injuries
Just when it seemed like the hockey gods were smiling on the Golden Knights - they were hit with the most bizarre spate of injuries as three goalies, Fleury, Malcolm Subban and Oscar Dansk, were hit with injuries. In stepped Max Lagace and 18-year-old Dylan Ferguson to hold the fort. Lagace picked up 13 points going 6-7-1 in the Golden Knights most trying segment of the season. Lagace propped up the Knights and kept them in the hunt during the early going.
December's gifts
December saw the Golden Knights play their best hockey of the regular season winning 11 games and losing two. Two of those wins came on the road against Nashville and Dallas on back-to-back nights. A win over the Preds in the shootout followed by Saturday night win in Dallas over the Stars. Gallant, in moments of retrospection, says that weekend is when he first believed his team was capable of special achievements. Later in December, the first place Tampa Bay Lightning came to town and the Golden Knights beat them 4-3 in a thriller with defenseman Shea Theodore collecting four points and scoring the winner with just 2.3 seconds left on the clock.
Fan Fest
The Golden Knights had planned a fan fest for October 3 which was postponed due to the shootings. It was rescheduled for a Sunday in January and turned out to be the most remarkable of days as more than 10,000 fans came down to the D Hotel and 3rd Street Stage to meet the team. Vegas Born, indeed.
Over-capacity
The Golden Knights operated at 104 percent capacity this season at home. Every home game at T-Mobile Arena was played before an audience over the fixed seated capacity.
Trade deadline
McPhee kept the hockey world guessing as to what he would do at the deadline but with the team firmly in a playoff position, he was a buyer. Not only did he keep his pending unrestricted free agents, but McPhee traded away surplus draft picks to bring in-depth adding forwards Tomas Tatar and Ryan Reaves. These players would score huge goals in the playoffs for the Knights, as Tatar tallied the team's first goal in Winnipeg during Game 2 of the Western Conference Final and Winnipeg native Reaves netted the WCF series clincher against his hometown team in Game 5.
Career years
The team's success on the ice was a cumulative effort. Players from 30 different teams combined to create a balanced lineup and arguably the fastest skating team in the NHL. Gallant likes to say if a player puts on a jersey, he's going to play and be part of the team's effort.
Fun at the Fortress
Packed houses and innovative entertainment made Vegas the place to be in the NHL. A pre-game show which held fans rapt in their seats, a drum line which gave the building its rhythm and finally fans who danced like no one was watching. Player after player across the NHL deemed Vegas the best place in the league to play a game.
The playoffs
The Golden Knights arrive at the Stanley Cup Final with a playoff record of 12-3. They swept the LA Kings in four games, beat the San Jose Sharks in six and then needed just give games to finish off the Winnipeg Jets and claim the Western Conference Final.
