Marc-Andre Fleury’s return, other VGK games to catch this season

Officially, these are the circle-them-on-the-calendar, can’t-miss games on the Golden Knights’ schedule.

Unofficially, this is the list of video tribute games.

Whether it’s former players returning to T-Mobile Arena or a coach going back to his stomping grounds, the Knights’ sixth season features some notable reunions.

As a result, Tuesday’s opener at Los Angeles didn’t make the cut for this endeavor. Neither did a game against the San Jose Sharks, which says more about the state of the rivalry than anything else.

Connor McDavid was left off this list. So were the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. Same goes for a matchup against fan favorites Gerard Gallant, Ryan Reaves and the New York Rangers.

Here are five games worth watching this season:

Dec. 5 at Boston

The final stop on a four-game road trip features coach Bruce Cassidy’s visit to TD Garden. Cassidy went 245-108-46 in six seasons with the Bruins and won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2019-20. He reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2019 before falling to the St. Louis Blues. Had that game gone differently, maybe he’d still be on the other bench for this game.

Dec. 31 vs. Nashville

The New Year’s Eve day game has turned into a must-see event on the Strip. From William Karlsson’s memorable hat trick against Toronto in 2017 to Jonathan Marchessault’s penalty shot in 2019 to last season’s brawl-filled victory over Anaheim, there’s usually something for everyone. The Predators made the playoffs last season. And this could mark the return of onetime Knights prospect Cody Glass.

Jan. 16 vs. Dallas

Let’s be honest. Pete DeBoer was never as popular in Las Vegas as Gallant. But he won over a lot of people, too, and even managed to get winger Max Pacioretty to stop cherry-picking at the red line. DeBoer was 98-50-12 during his run as Knights coach and was one step from the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first two seasons. Had he handled the goalies better, maybe he’d still be on the other bench for this game.

March 1 vs. Carolina

Nobody scored more goals for the Knights than Pacioretty during his four seasons with the club. But Pacioretty was traded for salary cap space, and in a cruel twist, he tore his Achilles tendon soon after. With a projected six-month recovery following surgery, he is on track to play in this game. Maybe defenseman Dylan Coghlan, also part of the trade, and “future considerations” will be in the lineup.

April 1 vs. Minnesota

Marc-Andre Fleury makes an appearance in Las Vegas on April Fool’s Day? You can’t make this stuff up. Someone is definitely getting pranked, and there’s nothing Knights director of team security Tom Monahan can do about it. Heck, he probably will be in on whatever gag Fleury has in mind. Fleury is 31 wins from catching Patrick Roy for second on the all-time list. Imagine if he did it here against his former club.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.