Bruce Cassidy, the coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, has played and coached in three established professional sports cities before arriving in Las Vegas. However, after the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in their sixth NHL season, Sin City has become a two-time titlist in less than a year after the Las Vegas Aces won the WNBA championship last fall. Cassidy believes that Vegas has now become a market just like all the other major ones.
Building History through Championships
Cassidy believes that in order to become a major sports city, a team needs to build some history. He thinks that the only way to do that is to win championships. Vegas has become a prime example of this with the Golden Knights and the Las Vegas Aces winning championships. Cassidy thinks that it is good for the Aces and Golden Knights to get championships and that this will help Vegas in the long term.
Vegas’ Infancy in Professional Sports Landscape
Cassidy played in Chicago and coached in Washington and Boston before being hired as the third coach of the Golden Knights. When he moved to Vegas, he initially thought of the strip, but then he moved here and started seeing communities and neighborhoods, families and youth hockey teams – anything and everything but Las Vegas Boulevard. Exactly one year after his introductory news conference, he spoke with a bit of pride about his new place in Las Vegas’ professional sports landscape. He is glad to be a part of the infancy of professional sports in Vegas.
Pro Sports Part of Vegas’ Identity
General manager Kelly McCrimmon and president of hockey operations George McPhee, who have been with the Knights since their inception, have watched as the WNBA and NFL followed the NHL’s move to Las Vegas. McCrimmon believes that pro sports are now part of the identity of the city. The pride that comes with being “Vegas Born” is something that no one can ever take away from the city. McCrimmon mentioned the mass shooting at a music festival on Oct. 1, 2017, and the Golden Knights’ debut just nine days later. He believes that some of those things will never change, and the team will always remember their debut in the aftermath of the tragedy.
According to McPhee, the experience with the Golden Knights has been amazing and rewarding, but the uplift that the team has given to the city is what really matters. The team has become an integral part of the community, and the players have become role models for the youth. With more championships, Vegas will continue to establish itself as a major professional sports city.
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