Former Penguin Engelland thriving in Vegas
By
Mark Madden / 105.9 the X
Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins, will forever be a Pittsburgh hockey legend. Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland is also an ex-Penguin. He's about grit and toughness, not star power.
But if one Golden Knight has become an iconic figure in the expansion team's 30-game history, it may be Engelland.
A member of the now-defunct Las Vegas Wranglers of the East Coast Hockey League for two seasons (2003-05), Engelland met his wife Melissa in Las Vegas and lives in the city year-round. When Las Vegas was victimized by a mass shooting that left 58 dead and 546 injured on Oct. 1, Las Vegans rallied around their new hockey team. Engelland spoke on the ice before the team's first-ever home opener Oct. 10, delivering an inspiring message of recovery and hope.
"Like all of you, I'm proud to call Las Vegas home," Engelland said to the sellout crowd. "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 family and friends of the victims, we'll do everything we can to help you and our city heal. "We are Vegas Strong."
Engelland punctuated his speech by scoring a goal in a 5-2 victory against Arizona. Engelland has just 25 goals in 498 NHL games, so it really was a special occasion.
"They mentioned it might be a good idea if I [spoke before the opener]," Engelland said Tuesday after scoring a goal in Vegas' 3-2 shootout loss to visiting Carolina. "We threw something together, and I was able to memorize it a little bit before I went out there. Obviously, I was a little nervous. I don't talk in front of a lot of people too often.
"But I felt I had to do that for the city and for the team. It turned out much better than I thought it would."
That last sentence applies to Vegas' season so far.
The Golden Knights are 19-9-2, good for second in the NHL's Pacific Division. That includes an 11-2-1 record at their home rink, T-Mobile Arena. An expansion team in the playoffs? It sounds crazy. But the Golden Knights are on course.
"Every night, for the most part, we've had all 20 guys going out and contributing," said Engelland, who is one of the team's alternate captains. "If one line's not doing it, the next line picks things up, and obviously our goaltending has been phenomenal."It's been a collective, hard-working team effort every night."
Engelland cited confidence as a big factor in the Golden Knights' success.
"Confidence goes a long way for everybody," said Engelland, 35. "You're playing with confidence. You're making the plays. Instead of just dumping it in, you're going to make that little play that gives another guy a little more time."
Engelland played for the Penguins from 2009-14, racking up 13 goals, 34 assists and 308 penalty minutes in 243 games. He's looking forward to competing against his old team Thursday.
"It will be a lot of fun," Engelland said. "It's always a lot of fun to play those guys. They're some of the best players in the world. "We've got [Fleury] here now. He was a big part of their foundation for a long time."
Engelland has three goals, eight assists and a plus-7 mark in 29 games for the Golden Knights. In his eighth full NHL season, Engelland's game may be at its zenith.
That's what Fleury thinks, anyway.
"Engo is so much better now than when he was in Pittsburgh," Fleury said Tuesday. "I feel like he's a much better player, that he keeps improving. "Then he scored a goal. I was like, 'Holy [heck], Engo scored a goal.' "
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).
