Youth hockey in Arizona produced the No. 1 overall pick, and now the Vegas Golden Knights are taking steps toward having the top NHL draft selection come from Nevada one day.
Through the Lil' Knights cross-ice development program, the Golden Knights and the D Las Vegas will help boys and girls in Southern Nevada learn the game in a way that will prepare them to play at a high level as they grow up. The program will take place at all three rinks in the city: City National Arena, the Las Vegas Ice Center and Sobe Ice Arena.
"Community is a contact sport-just like hockey," said Vegas Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz. "We're excited because, in our partnership with the D, they're going to provide significant funding to continue the development of youth hockey here in the Las Vegas valley."
Bubolz and the Golden Knights have capitalized on a love for hockey that's been born after just one season of NHL hockey in the city. By taking a hands-on approach with the community, the organization has ramped up involvement in youth hockey from the learn-to-play level up to competitive junior leagues.
The Lil' Knights program takes players who have already learned the fundamentals of skating, passing, and shooting and presents them with the opportunity to learn the nuances of the game. Making line changes on-the-fly, breaking the puck out of their own zone, and learning special teams strategies are all part of the education provided through the program-along with the invaluable lessons of teamwork and responsibility.
"I think that this is just tremendous," said the D Las Vegas CEO Derek Stevens. "I got to see what youth hockey did in the city of Detroit when I was growing up. This is the first step of something that's just going to be terrific for this community."
The support provided by the D Las Vegas has already helped the Golden Knights grow in the city, but this latest partnership with the hotel will be key in helping children fall in love with the sport as a whole.
Bubolz said that adding the Lil' Knights program will provide another stepping stone in the development process for young hockey players. After completing the Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs that the Golden Knights offer, boys and girls can take the next leap toward becoming an intelligent and skilled hockey player in travel and junior hockey.
While he'd love to see a player from Nevada go No. 1 at the draft as Matthews did in 2016, he's just as happy seeing someone take the route to the NHL that Las Vegas native Gage Quinney took. Quinney, who grew up watching his father play for the Las Vegas Thunder, played for the Nevada Storm before taking the next step of Canadian junior hockey. Now, Quinney is under contract with the Golden Knights and will compete for a roster spot at training camp in September.
"Just as they've done a great job with baseball and football, some of the best players in the world have come from Las Vegas," Bubolz said. "We want to do that with hockey."
