Watch: NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights Pay Tribute To First Responders, Victims Of Shooting

by Pablo MenaOctober 11, 2017, 5:39 pmDaily Digest, News, Z-Home Slider >

The newly-formed Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL delivered a moving tribute to the victims of the Oct. 1 mass shooting before their season opener at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night.

Vegas Golden Knights shooting victims tribute

In total, 58 people died in the massacre at a music festival in Las Vegas in what is recorded as the worst mass shooting in American history. First responders including doctors, nurses, police officers and firefighters were named and accompanied the Knights players onto the ice. There was also a 58-second moment of silence to honor each of the victims, whose names were emblazoned on the ice.

In addition, the boards around the rink at the arena bore the hashtag #VegasStrong. Both the Knights and their opponents, the Arizona Coyotes, donned decals honoring the victims. “Some things are bigger than rivalries,” the Coyotes’ official Twitter account posted. The account also changed its avatar to an image melding the teams’ logos for Tuesday night’s game.

The Knights had organized a practice for those pre-game ceremonies, and head coach Gerard Gallant admitted to becoming emotional during that. “I could feel myself getting teary-eyed,” Gallant said Tuesday morning. “And [the game] will be a lot tougher than that.” The Knights won Tuesday’s game 5-2 to become the first expansion team to begin the season 3-0.

Survivors of the shooting joined team owner Bill Foley at center ice for the ceremonial puck-drop.

Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland, an Edmonton native who has been a Las Vegas resident since playing for a minor-league team there in 2004, then took a microphone and addressed the fans, saying, “Like all of you, I’m proud to call Las Vegas home. I met my wife here, my kids were born here, and I know how special the city is.

“To all the brave first responders that have worked tirelessly and courageously through this whole tragedy, we thank you,” Engelland continued. “To the families and friends of the victims, know that we’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal.

“We are Vegas Strong,” England added to close out the ceremony.

The Knights — who previously defeated Arizona and the Dallas Stars in their first two games over the weekend — next host the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.

LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 10: Workers from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival (L) sing the American national anthem as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Honor Guard stands by before the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural regular-season home opener against the Arizona Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena on October 10, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights honored first responders and victims of last week’s mass shooting at the game. On October 1, Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured more than 450 after he opened fire on a large crowd at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. The Golden Knights won 5-2. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)