William Karlsson's 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy Run
The Vegas Golden Knights: From expansion misfits to Stanley Cup champions in six seasons.
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an expansion team, the team is the first major sports franchise to represent Las Vegas. The franchise is primarily owned by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, a consortium led by Bill Foley, with Adrienne Maloof holding a minority stake. Their home games are played at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Center
- Award won
- Conn Smythe Trophy (2023)
- Team affiliation
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Achievement
- Stanley Cup Champion
- Series mvp status
- Playoff Most Valuable Player
Lore & Background
One of the few expansion franchises to experience immediate success in North American professional sports, the Golden Knights have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs in five of their first six seasons and reached the Stanley Cup Final in their first season. Their 13 playoff wins en route to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final are the most for a team during their inaugural postseason run. In 2023, the club returned to the Stanley Cup Final and won their first championship in their sixth season of existence, becoming the fastest expansion team to win the Stanley Cup in NHL history.
Reader's Guide
The team's inaugural season began in 2017–18. They set numerous expansion team records, including most wins and points in a debut season. They made the playoffs in their first season, becoming the first team since the Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers in 1979–80 to do so. They won the Pacific Division title in their inaugural season, the first true expansion team in the four major sports to win its division in its first season. The Golden Knights were defeated in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final by the Washington Capitals in five games.
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