Golden Ticket Tradition
The pre-season tradition that bridged Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.
Frozen Fury was an annual pre-season ice hockey game hosted by the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL), which was held in Salt Lake City from 2021 to 2023. A previous incarnation of the series was held between the Kings and the Colorado Avalanche in Las Vegas from 1997 to 2016. On four occasions, the Kings faced different teams instead of the Avalanche; once each against the Arizona Coyotes, the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, and the Dallas Stars.
Quick Facts
- Origin year
- 2017
- Context
- NHL Expansion Draft
- Key figure selected
- Nick Lenz
- a season-ticket holder from Henderson
- Nevada
- Role created
- Ceremonial 23rd Man (marketing promotion, not a roster placeholder)
- Location of launch
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Event significance
- Inaugural Season Kickoff
Lore & Background
The first game to be played in Las Vegas was also the first outdoor game in the league's history: 14,000 fans came to a rink set up outside Caesars Palace to see the Kings defeat the New York Rangers 5–2 on September 28, 1991. The air temperature was 85 °F (29 °C) during the game. The game served as a predecessor to both the Frozen Fury series (which was played indoors) and the NHL Winter Classic, the annual regular season game held on New Year's Day that began in 2008. From 1997 to 2015, these games were played at MGM Grand Garden Arena; in 2016, they were played at T-Mobile Arena. The 2016 games were the end of the original tradition, due to the launch of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017–18 season. In 2021, a new Frozen Fury series was launched at the then-Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City between the Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights; the Sharks then rejoined the series in 2023. This series was concluded following the 2023–24 season, with Salt Lake City receiving the expansion Utah Mammoth.
Reader's Guide
The games include Frozen Fury I (1997) through Frozen Fury XVIII (2016), and Frozen Fury SLC I (2021) through Frozen Fury SLC IV (2024). The 15th Frozen Fury was originally supposed to take place on September 29, 2012, but was cancelled due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout. It resumed September 27–28, 2013, with the New York Rangers making their debut in the series. Frozen Fury SLC IV (2024) was intended to be the third meeting between Los Angeles and Vegas, but was officially cancelled on June 20, 2024, due to the Salt Lake City-based Utah Hockey Club entering the NHL. The game was replaced by a matchup between the Kings and the Utah Hockey Club (later the Utah Mammoth) on the same date, without the Frozen Fury branding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Golden Ticket Tradition?
It is the Vegas Golden Knights' founding fan-participation story, in which supporters who bought inaugural-season tickets in 2016 entered a drawing to become the 23rd member of the roster. The initiative turned casual observers into stakeholders in the franchise from the very first day.
Who won the Golden Ticket and what did that mean?
Nick Lenz was the fan selected to hold the honorary 23rd-man spot on the Golden Knights' roster for their inaugural 2017-18 season. His selection embodied the team's promise that the franchise belongs to its supporters, not just its front office.
What does the '23rd man on the roster' designation actually entail?
Because an NHL active roster lists 22 players, the 23rd spot is a symbolic, non-playing honor. The Golden Ticket winner earned this unique place on the official lineup, making one fan literally part of the team's first-season roster.
When and where was the Golden Ticket launched?
The tradition debuted in 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada, timed to coincide with the NHL's expansion draft that assembled the Golden Knights' initial roster. Every ticket purchased for the inaugural season automatically entered the buyer into the drawing.
Why does the Golden Ticket still matter at T-Mobile Arena?
It cemented the idea that the team was built by and for its people rather than handed down from a league office. That sense of collective ownership continues to shape how fans engage with the franchise, treating the arena as their house and the roster as something they helped create.
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