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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy performed and coached in three established skilled sports activities cities earlier than arriving in Las Vegas.
After the Golden Knights hoisted the Stanley Cup within the staff’s sixth NHL season — and Cassidy’s first as their coach — Sin City has develop into a two-time titlist in lower than a 12 months after the Las Vegas Aces received the WNBA championship final fall.
“Vegas has become a market just like all the other major ones now, slowly but surely,” Cassidy stated Friday. “You gotta build some history to do that. And to build history you gotta win championships. So good for the Aces and good for us to get championships.”
BRUCE WANTS US TO GO BACK-TO-BACK 🥳🥳🥳 pic.twitter.com/d7t9U8ERg1
— 🏆 – Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 18, 2023
Cassidy performed in Chicago and coached in Washington and Boston earlier than being employed because the third coach of the Golden Knights.
When he was drafted to play for the Blackhawks in 1983, the franchise was 58 years outdated — Cassidy’s present age. His subsequent two stops additionally had a long time of professional sports activities historical past.
Then got here Las Vegas, which not too way back wasn’t even allowed to promote its metropolis as a vacationer attraction throughout Super Bowl commercials.
Cassidy’s first thought after he took the Vegas job: “You think of the strip, right? I’m not the only guy to ever say that.”
But then he moved right here and began seeing communities and neighborhoods, households and youth hockey groups — something and all the things however Las Vegas Boulevard.
Exactly one 12 months after his introductory information convention, he spoke with a little bit of satisfaction about his new place in Las Vegas’ skilled sports activities panorama.
“It’s obviously taking off,” Cassidy stated. “It’s kind of nice to be part of the infancy of this. I mean, I might look back when I’m 85 years old and say, ‘I was there when it all started.’ Which would be kind of cool.”
We. Are. The. Champions. 🥹
Drones: @SkyElementsUSA 🤩 pic.twitter.com/nyRappqQ88
— 🏆 – Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 18, 2023
General supervisor Kelly McCrimmon and president of hockey operations George McPhee, who’ve been with the Knights since their inception, have watched because the WNBA and NFL adopted the NHL’s transfer to Las Vegas.
“In a sense, pro sports are now part of the identity of our city,” McCrimmon stated. “You look at those things that no one can ever take away from, you will always have the pride that comes from being the first one. The pride that comes with being ‘Vegas Born.’”
McCrimmon talked about the mass capturing at a music pageant on Oct. 1, 2017 — the deadliest mass capturing in U.S. historical past — and the Golden Knights’ debut simply 9 days later.
“Some of those things will never change,” he stated. “I expect we’ll be overwhelmed tomorrow when we see the support that will be there for the parade. George talks about it all the time. (Owner) Bill (Foley) talks about it all the time, we want to be part of the community, we want our players to be part of the community.”
Added McPhee: “Yes, it’s great to have your name on a Stanley Cup. Yes, it’s great to get a Stanley Cup ring, but the experience with this group of players, that experience is amazing and rewarding, but the uplift that you give to a city is really what matters.”
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