Golden Knights prepare to launch Fan Development Program
Are you ready to learn about hockey?
The Golden Knights are eager to educate you.
Whether you are an expert in the sport or a novice, the NHL expansion team is finalizing plans to explain the game throughout the valley with a series of clinics aimed at old and young. The Hockey Fan Development Program is expected to debut in February.
“We’re finalizing the details,” said Nahme E. Abouzeid, the team’s vice president. “We know there are people who want to learn about hockey, especially children, and we are going to create a series of events to introduce people to the game.”
The initiative is a precursor to what the team hopes will evolve into its own brand of youth and high school hockey. Team owner Bill Foley has said that one of his goals was to grow the sport in the community by getting kids playing. He said youth hockey will be a major component of the team’s two-rink practice facility under construction just east of Downtown Summerlin.
“According to figures from USA Hockey, there’s roughly 1,300 kids in Nevada playing youth hockey,” Abouzeid said. “We need to boost those numbers.”
The team is looking into hiring someone to oversee the youth hockey program it plans to start. It has had discussions with the Las Vegas Storm, the local youth hockey program, about either merging or having the NHL team take it over and rebrand it.
As for adults, Abouzeid said the Knights are planning a “Hockey 101” presentation that will be easy and fun to understand. Team staff members will run the clinics, which might include appearances from members of the Knights’ hockey operations staff.
“We realize we have to build people’s knowledge of the game,” Abouzeid said. “We have a lot of knowledgeable hockey fans in Las Vegas, but not everyone’s an expert. We want the new fans to learn while at the same time teach our experienced fans things about the game they may not be aware of.”
While the Knights want their fans to learn and understand hockey, they also want them to purchase team merchandise. To that end, the team store at T-Mobile Arena is being expanded and will serve as the Knights’ flagship store. Abouzeid said the upgraded store is expected to be open well before the team’s season opener in early October.
Also, there will be a smaller team store at the practice facility when it opens in late August, as well as a kiosk at McCarran International Airport. Merchandise has been on sale at selected MGM Resorts properties since Nov. 22, when the Golden Knights’ name was revealed, and has spread to selected sporting goods stores, retail stores and area fan shops.
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.
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