Foley's Roots In Rocky Mountain Region An Influence On Team's TV Deal

Bill Foley has roots all over the United States.
The Golden Knights' chairman and CEO spent most of his childhood in West Texas. His business career flourished in Jacksonville, Fla., where one of his primary non-hockey ventures, Fidelity National Financial, has been located.
The 72-year-old attended colleges in New York and the state of Washington, has wineries in Napa Valley and even spent part of his childhood in Canada, when his father was stationed in Ottawa with the U.S. Air Force.
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For the past 20 years, Foley has also spent a significant amount of time in Montana.
With one of his primary residences in Whitefish, Mont., Foley, as well as anyone involved with the NHL, understands this region.
This is what has influenced Foley to believe that his NHL team, even though primarily belonging to the people of Las Vegas, could also become "the team of the Rockies."
The first major step in transforming Foley's belief from a notion into something notable came on Tuesday, when the team signed a television partnership with ROOT SPORTS Rocky Mountain.
Through this partnership, all Golden Knights games will have the opportunity to be watched locally by all of Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and portions of California and Arizona.

"The thing that I found from the time I spent in Montana and really in the west is that this portion of the Rocky Mountains doesn't really have a professional, a National Hockey League team to support," Foley said. "Yes, they have the Utah Jazz, which is terrific. In terms of hockey, there isn't that team that can be the team of the Rockies.
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"We are the 'Vegas' Golden Knights, this is our homebase.
"But during the winter in these towns, people watch hockey. They just don't have a team. It's really NBC Sports Network and whoever they happen to have on that week. Whoever they have on, and during the playoffs. Normally in the winter time, there's a game a week. That's about all you get to watch. There's no one else to watch.
"Being the team of the Rockies is going to be a lot of fun."

For Foley, his desire to bring the Golden Knights into homes throughout the Rocky Mountains has many layers to it.
From a business standpoint, of course, it would accomplish the objective of bringing his team, as well as the league, into more homes.
Which even though Foley vows that the franchise will continue to belong to Vegas, would give the Golden Knights franchise broader appeal, which gives the organization greater chances of having success.
But also for Foley, who is greatly familiar with the fabric of Rocky Mountain culture, it aligns the Golden Knights with communities whose values match what Foley aspires for his hockey team.
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"They're great, all of those towns are the way America used to be," Foley said. "Just great towns, wonderful people that are just hard working and down to Earth. They want to have a good time, enjoy themselves, bring up their families right.
"I'm a big admirer of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Just great citizens. I've been going to Montana and Idaho for the last 20 years.
"St. George (Utah), for example. St. George has almost 180,000 people in the metropolitan area. It's only 90 minutes from here. That's going to be hockey country for us.
"These people are going to adopt us."