Golden Knights featured heavily in NHL players poll
The Golden Knights have made quite an impression in three NHL seasons.
The Knights were featured prominently in the player and team portions of the NHL Players Association’s annual poll, which was released Tuesday. Five hundred eighty-eight players answered 21 questions anonymously, and the team was mentioned in seven.
Knights jerseys, ice honored
The Knights did well in the arenas and team portion of the poll, factoring into three of the four questions.
They placed second in best visiting locker room with 26.47 percent of the vote, behind the Edmonton Oilers (38.01 percent). They also tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for second in best jersey at 6.83 percent. The Chicago Blackhawks took first in a landslide with 28.25 percent.
Also, players said T-Mobile Arena has the best ice in the U.S. The Knights’ rink placed fourth in the category at 8.75 percent, behind Montreal’s Bell Centre (31.75 percent), the Edmonton’s Rogers Place (16.75 percent) and the Winnipeg’s Bell MTS Place (11 percent).
Fleury, Reaves praised
In the player portion, Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Reaves and Nick Cousins received votes.
Fleury finished third in best goalie at 8.93 percent, behind Montreal’s Carey Price (41.55 percent) and Tampa Bay’s Andre Vasilevskiy (17.09 percent). Fleury finished fourth last year.
Reaves placed third in best trash-talker for the second straight year behind Boston’s Brad Marchand and Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty. Cousins, acquired at the trade deadline, fell out of the top five after placing fifth last year.
Cousins was voted the fourth-worst trash-talker for the second straight year.
Stone’s golf game gets love
The Knights also had one honoree in the off-ice section.
Right wing Mark Stone, an avid Tiger Woods fan who loves to hit the links in his free time, tied for fourth in best golfer.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
