Golden Knights remember Oct. 1 with special practice

By Justin Emerson

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019 | 3:16 p.m.

Two years ago, the Vegas Golden Knights had not even played their first regular-season game when shots rang out on the Las Vegas Strip.

And in those terrible moments — and in the days following the Oct. 1 mass shooting — the Golden Knights were thrust into the position of not just a fledgling hockey team, but a team that would help bring a community together and start the healing.

The Golden Knights held a private practice this morning open to fans impacted by the tragedy and hosted a lunch where players mingled with their special guests and signed autographs.

It didn’t go unappreciated.

“For me personally, it means a lot that we don’t forget,” said Clark County firefighter Jesse Gomez. “There were so many people in this community that were affected, and I’m glad we’re all here to remember.”

On the night of Oct. 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire from a Strip hotel tower on thousands of people attending an outdoor country music festival, leaving 58 people dead and more than 800 injured. Countless thousands more were left dealing with emotional scars.

On the second anniversary of the attack, the players struck a somber tone in the dressing room as they prepared to face the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday in their season opener.

“Everybody remembers what you did that day, what you did after, during and everything,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said. “I remember I was a little scared at that time. It was just awful to be that close to that kind of situation.”

General manager Kelly McCrimmon said the tragedy immediately became a part of the franchise’s history and “gave this organization a chance to do their part and really galvanized the players with the people of Las Vegas.”

Defenseman Deryk Engelland took the microphone before the inaugural home game, delivering an emotional speech praising the first responders, mourning the victims and stirring the crowd with four short words: “We are Vegas strong.”

“You see terrible things happen all over the place, but you never expect it to happen here at home,” Engelland said today. “Puts things into a different perspective than hockey.”

Today’s practice was packed, as was the restaurant at City National Arena, where the fans and players gathered for lunch afterward.

“They’ve done a lot for the community, and to have the game a couple nights after, it seemed like the community rallied around them,” Gomez said. “To have this for people that were directly impacted, that’s great. They don’t forget.”