Kirkell: Golden Knights Are a ‘Destination Team’ & it’s Obvious Why

Nevertheless, in 2025, that’s exactly what they are.

Had Mitch Marner gone to Free Agency, he would have been the belle of the ball. Some analysts thought he could sign for upwards of $14 million. Instead, he chose the Golden Knights, agreeing to an eight-year contract in a sign-and-trade worth $12 million annually.

“We thought about going to Free Agency, but this was the place we wanted to be,” said Marner on Tuesday. “We didn’t want to lose that opportunity; we wanted to join this hockey team… I’m so grateful to be here, and so happy to be a part of this team.”

Now, we know that hockey works in the desert. The Golden Knights proved this immediately, making the playoffs and advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in just their first season. They proved it again every year since, making the playoffs in seven of their eight seasons. Winning the Stanley Cup in 2023 was just the cherry on top.

The Golden Knights weren’t seen as a threat when they entered the league. They were a team based right off the Vegas Strip– how serious could they be? However, everything the Golden Knights have done in the past eight years has drastically changed how people view them.

“When Vegas came into the league, I think it was a shock,” said Marner on Tuesday. “Everyone thought it was going to be a team that was competitive, but a lot of teams are going to come in here and maybe do some stupid stuff the night before hockey games.

“[They] realized quickly, as soon as this team was made, that they were guys who were willing to work and battle,” Marner finished. “[The names on the team] didn’t matter. They were just there to do their job, and they ended up winning a lot of hockey games. With Kelly [McCrimmon] and Bill [Foley] and [George] McPhee, they started making a winning atmosphere here, really pushing to make this team better every single year.”

For decades, tourists have flocked to The Strip, drawn in by the Vegas lights like moths to a flame. However, players don’t sign with the Golden Knights for easy access to shows and casinos– they sign here to win. And over the past eight years, the Golden Knights boast the third-best winning percentage in the postseason.

“[Hockey players] want to win every single night,” said Marner on Tuesday. “You want to win every battle. You want to win anything you can, all the time… That’s the whole goal of why we do this,” Marner said. “You want to hoist the Stanley Cup, and this team has shown that they can do it.”

Vegas is so much more than the glitz and glamor of The Strip, and players know that. Long after they leave, they hold fond memories of living in Vegas and playing for the Golden Knights. Marner and his wife are new parents, and greatly took that into consideration when choosing a new home. When he spoke to Ryan Reaves and Max Pacioretty, they gushed about the team and the area. 

“The city itself, everyone just thinks of it as The Strip, but there’s so much more to it,” Marner said. “I was lucky enough to talk to Reavo and Pacioretty quite a bit about everything off The Strip. Living-wise, schooling-wise, just how tight-knit the communities, and privacy-wise– a lot of things just checked our boxes.”

A lot has to go right for a team to attract players the way the Golden Knights do. It’s not just about the gorgeous weather or location– just look at the Los Angeles Kings. The weather is beautiful, and they’re right by the ocean. 

However, in just the past few years, players like Linus Ullmark blocked trades that would have sent them to the City of Angels. The Kings were one of the other teams seriously pursuing Marner– no dice. And as an insult to injury, when they tried to land Rasmus Andersson, the defenseman said he would only sign an extension with the Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights are a winning organization located in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Thus, the league has taken notice, and players want to come to Vegas. Enjoy it: most teams and their fan bases dream of being this lucky.