Vegas Native Jason Zucker Set To Face Golden Knights For First Time

Jason Zucker is not a Golden Knights. In fact, he's an opponent in tonight's game against the Minnesota Wild.
And a dangerous opponent.
Zucker's 13 goals lead the Wild, and he's been the team's central scoring threat all season.
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But Zucker is an opponent unlike any Vegas has seen this season. He's the only player in the NHL (ever) to have been born and raised in the Las Vegas area.
The 25-year-old was born in Newport Beach, Calif. But was raised in Southern Nevada, playing his youth hockey out of the Las Vegas Ice Center and Sobe Ice Arena.
Which for a community still finding its way as a hockey community like Las Vegas is, facing the only native son to have ever reached hockey's highest level for the first time is certainly noteworthy.

It's notable for Zucker, too.
"It's pretty exciting knowing they have a team now," Zucker said. "It should be funning playing against them."
Fun for Zucker, sure.
But how about his friends?
Zucker is still very much part of the hockey community in Las Vegas. He returns every summer to play in a charity game for local firefighters at the Sobe Ice Arena.
Vegas hockey people are Zucker's people. For those people, however, the Golden Knights are now their team. Zucker is still their guy. But the Golden Knights are their team.
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Which for a hockey community that's never had a team before, having its only native son in the NHL face their new favorite team is a bit of a conflict of interest.
Although Zucker said he's pretty sure he knows where his friends' rooting interests will be.
"They're pretty excited about the Knights," Zucker said. "I think they're hoping I score a few, but they win. I think that might be sufficient for them."