The logo of the Henderson Silver Knights.
Published Monday, Aug. 31, 2020 | 11:54 a.m.
Updated Monday, Aug. 31, 2020 | 4:06 p.m.
The American Hockey League affiliate of the Golden Knights announced today that Manny Viveiros will be the first bench boss in team history.
Viveiros has coached at various levels of hockey for 13 years, most recently with the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs last season.
“I’ve heard nothing but incredible things about the support in the City of Henderson for the Silver Knights, and I can’t wait to get started,” Viveiros said. “But more importantly, I’m really excited to have the opportunity to help the young players in the Knights organization reach their goals of playing for the Knights in the National Hockey League. Let’s get started.”
Viveiros, 53, was an offensive defenseman as a player, and tries to bring that into his coaching style. He was an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers in 2018-19 so he’s seen the Golden Knights up close and despite a desire to remain in pro hockey after that year with the Oilers, returned to juniors last season.
He likes a fast, up-tempo game, which meshes what Vegas is looking for. In fact he said as coach in Spokane he even tried to emulate what the Golden Knights were doing.
“That’s the way I believe the game has to be played today,” Viveiros said. “I’ve always found out that our kids, they would rather pay all-out rather than more of a sit-back type of game. That’s something I think going forward, that’s a trademark from the Golden Knights organization is that we’re going to play fast and play hard every night.”
Viveiros has coached everywhere that there has been hockey, even if this will be his first foray into the AHL. He began coaching in Austria in 2007 and also spent time as the country’s national team coach. He was a draft pick of the Oilers in 1984 as a player and reached the NHL in 1985 with the Minnesota North Stars.
He played junior hockey with the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL, which is where Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon first became aware of him. McCrimmon has long ties with the league, as a player, coach and owner and once Viveiros returned to coaching in North America in the WHL and with the Oilers, McCrimmon started to get to know him better.
“He’s a person who I think has a really good understanding of the age group of player that is going to be in the American Hockey League, the objectives that those players have, the importance of their development,” McCrimmon said. “That’s our objective at the American League level, to win and develop players simultaneously.”
The Silver Knights will begin play in the valley next season, playing their home games at the Orleans Arena and practicing at the nearly finished Lifeguard Arena in Henderson.
The Henderson Event Center is being built as a permanent site for home games. The center should be finished in time for the 2022-23 season.
The Golden Knights organization purchased the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage earlier this year and relocated the franchise to Henderson. Previously, the Golden Knights’ affiliate was the Chicago Wolves.
Viveiros has spent some time in Las Vegas as both a coach with the Oilers and as a tourist. The pandemic has stopped him from touring the area extensively during interviews but said he can’t wait to move to Henderson.
“From what we see and people we’ve talked to, we’re going to move into an absolutely beautiful city,” Viveiros said. “It’s absolutely gorgeous online and people we’ve talked to say it’s one of the best places you can find in the United States.”
