The Golden Knights observed 58 seconds of silence, one for each victim, before giving an impassioned speech by Canadian defenseman Derik Engelland, who actually lived in Las Vegas for 14 years. It also lasted exactly 58 seconds.
“Like you, I'm proud to call Las Vegas home,” he began speaking to a capacity crowd of 18,000 as the spotlight shined on him on the ice.
“I met my wife here, our children were born here, and I know how special this city is.
“We would like to thank all the brave first responders who worked tirelessly and bravely throughout this tragedy.
“To the families and friends of the victims, we will do everything in our power to help you and our city recover. We are Vegas Strong.”
Engelland said afterwards that he probably never spoke to “more than 20 people at once.” Either way, it was the team talk that summed up the sentiment in the city.
“For a guy who normally has a pretty shy demeanor, that was amazing,” Bubolz said. “In those moments of silence, I could hear people breathing. That will always stay with me. It was very eerie.”
The Golden Knights then scored four goals in the first 10 minutes, with the second goal coming from Engelland, a rare goal.
“It was a magical moment,” Bubolz said.
“For those three hours, people were able to distance themselves from the mass murder that was literally happening right in front of their eyes and just enjoy hockey, even if they had never been to a game before.”
The Golden Knights went 5-2, winning eight of their first nine games and regaining some of the excitement the team had built before the tragedy.
Founded in Las Vegas rather than relocated, they made their Las Vegas roots their “DNA statement” and capitalized on the pride felt by those who lived in the city even before the population boom.
They also distributed free jerseys to all 14,000 season ticket members, and retail sales were “off the charts” because everyone in the city saw the jerseys and wanted to participate, especially since the team was winning. became.
“Something really unique and special happened and a bond was formed right away,” Bubolz said. “In a strange way, tragedy brought us together. A bond was formed in desperation, and people fell in love with these players.”
At the Golden Knights' final home game of the regular season, they hung a banner with Vegas Strong, 58 stars and the names of the victims. Uniform number 58 has also been retired.
Not only did the team secure an unexpected spot in the playoffs, but they continued their impressive run to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to Washington 4-1 in the best-of-seven series.
At the end of his first season, Engelland won the NHL's Leadership Award, but it wasn't just for his speech. Throughout the season, he and his wife Melissa invited those affected by the shootings to home games, meeting with each guest and thanking them.
He said, “No matter what you do in your career, [that speech] It's probably the biggest moment of my hockey career.”
