The Vegas Golden Knights headed to Arizona and AZ Ice Gilbert to celebrate expanding the realm by hosting free on-ice and ball hockey clinics, as well as a watch party, on Oct. 19. Children ages 5-12 had the opportunity to join Director of Youth Hockey Operations, Sheri Hudspeth, and her team of coaches to learn and expand their hockey skills. On Oct. 20, LosVGK hosted a free ball-hockey clinic at Chicanos Por La Causa in Phoenix to continue engaging with Hispanic and Latino hockey fans.
Saturday was a packed day that started off strong with the first hour-long on-ice hockey clinic for kids ages 5-8. The little mites laced up their skates, some for the first time, to hit the ice and learn what the coaches had to share. The second on-ice clinic followed soon after with kids ages 9-12 ready to participate. With a little bit more experience, these players were zipping around the ice, eager to expand their hockey knowledge. The rink was buzzing with excitement between the players, parents, and coaches as everyone felt more comfortable with the Vegas Golden Knights coming to town.
Stepping into the rink, one would think they were anywhere but the desert for these hockey clinics. Kids were having fun on and off the ice as multiple ball-hockey games were being played off the ice in between the on-ice clinics, all while a DJ kept the atmosphere energized for everyone. The excitement in the air was palpable.
“Hockey is thriving in the desert. We saw that through the enthusiasm from all the kids and coaches who came out to skate with us at AZ Ice Gilbert,” said Hudspeth. “It is important to the Vegas Golden Knights to support the thriving youth hockey community in Arizona and ensure the momentum and the love of the game is maintained.”
The Vegas Golden Knights played the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon, so the team hosted a watch party at Park Tavern & Market located at the rink. Fans were welcomed to sit with the crew and coaches to cheer on the team while also meeting Chance and NHL broadcaster Jamie Hersch. For most of the VGK staff, meeting fans was the highlight of the weekend.
Continuing the trip into Sunday, LosVGK hosted a ball-hockey clinic at Chicanos Por La Causa. LosVGK is the team’s outreach platform designed to represent and celebrate its Hispanic and Latino fanbase throughout the realm. Chicanos Por La Causa is a community development corporation that advocates and provides services such as health, housing, education, and advocacy. This weekend was the first time the groups have worked together.
“I thought it was cool connecting with Chicanos Por La Causa. To see behind the curtain and have those conversations about the work they’re doing or the opportunities where an organization like Chicanos Por La Causa and LosVGK can overlap,” said Ben Thomas, Director of Latino Marketing and Outreach. “It’s really important to have a platform like LosVGK where we can show up to a Hispanic community center and put on a ball hockey clinic to offer our Learn to Play Hockey programming and literature in Spanish or English. Being able to have that available year-round is so important to growing the game in these non-traditional markets.”
Arizona hockey fans were devasted when they lost the Arizona Coyotes over the summer, however, they remain passionate about the sport. The Vegas Golden Knights want to be that entertaining option for Arizona fans to follow. Hockey thrives in the desert, and that was prominent during the clinics throughout the weekend.
“This presents a tremendous opportunity for the team. We know that there’s over 300,000 Golden Knights fans in Arizona, so step one was making sure that fans, not just Golden Knights fans, but all hockey fans, are able to watch our games. That’s where the partnerships with Scripps Sports (Arizona 58 and Arizona 61) comes in,” said Eric Tosi, Chief Marketing Officer of the Vegas Golden Knights. “We’ve had a very successful blueprint with being able to bring our cast and our fan development. We'll organize those clinics and engage with the local youth organizations in the respective market and offer these free to attend, free to participate in, on-ice and off-ice clinics with kids. It's all about getting more kids playing and receiving that instruction from NHL affiliated coaches.”
The first Arizona road trip is in the books with fans already asking when the team was planning on coming back.
“The plan was to ensure that this weekend was a success, and then we would look to build out consistent programming throughout the rest of the season,” Tosi stated. “The Vegas Golden Knights and LosVGK are excited to continue to expand the realm among fans.”
