Golden Knights players sympathize with coaching changes
Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault can empathize with what two of the Golden Knights’ next three opponents are going through.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers recently fired their coaches, something the two forwards dealt with when Gerard Gallant was dismissed by the Florida Panthers early in the 2016-17 season.
Marchessault had just joined the Panthers but was already attached to Gallant, so he had an inkling of how the Blackhawks felt after three-time Stanley Cup winner Joel Quenneville was let go.
“Quenneville has been there forever and they won a lot of games with him,” Marchessault said. “I know in Florida, I was just with (Gallant) for two months but that was enough for me to love him. Everybody just walked in there and everyone was very disappointed. But that’s the life we’re living in.”
The Blackhawks and Oilers handled their firings in a traditional manner. When the Panthers let go of Gallant, a photo of him getting into a taxi he called for himself after his dismissal added to the controversy.
The Panthers went 24-26-1 after firing Gallant and failed to make the playoffs last season. The Blackhawks are 3-4-2 since moving on from Quenneville and naming Jeremy Colliton interim coach. The Oilers are 1-1-1 since replacing Todd McLellan with Ken Hitchcock.
“I know for me, it was tough,” Smith said. “There were a lot of question marks as to what direction that team was headed and a lot of uncertainty there. It can be a difficult situation.”
‘Die Hard’ promotion
The Knights made two holiday ticket packages available for presale Monday for members of their “Can’t Wait List,” naming both after characters from the Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman action thriller “Die Hard.” Fans can select the “John McClane Pack,” which features games against the Sharks, Arizona Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets, or the “Hans Gruber Pack,” which features games against the Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames.
We COULD just have regular holiday ticket packs…..but you guys know us better than that ?
Our Die Hard-themed Holiday Packs are now on sale for our Can't Wait List members!
Come out to the games, we'll get together, have a few laughs………https://t.co/YFRiKwoZ4I
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 26, 2018
Prices start at $225 and include a ticket to a Cirque du Soleil show. The packages will be made available to the general public if they do not sell out during the presale.
Dancing through snow
The Knights practiced in the morning Monday so they could get a jump on their trip to Chicago, but the weather didn’t cooperate.
The team’s flight was delayed due to snow flurries in Chicago. Despite the setback, a few players were looking forward to seeing snow on the ground.
“It is nice to see it every now and then,” Smith said. “Vegas is nice because of the sunshine, but it is nice, being from Canada, to see a little snow.”
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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
