23 APR 2019: I went to a theatrical production and a hockey game broke out. Not surprisingly, the experience unfolded in Las Vegas, where the hockey world has been turned upside down and is breaking new ground on many different levels as it continues to take root in the “entertainment capital of the world.”

Certainly, the Golden Knights confounded observers by unexpectedly reaching the Stanley Cup finals last year in the team’s inaugural season. (Ahem, its been over 50 years since the Maple Laughs have made it to a final). However, it’s the unparalleled experience at games and the undiminished enthusiasm of local fans that continue to truly set the franchise apart.

From NFL-style tailgate party (sans the actual parking lot tailgates) outside the arena to an elaborate pre-game theatrical ritual involving good and bad-guy knights, archers and a King Arthur sword-in-the stone finale, there’s nothing like it in the NHL. Team members and celebs shout out to fans on the jumbotron, smoke and lights swirl, music blasts, drummers drum, sirens blare, and players enter through a giant knight’s helmet lowered from the rafters. And when the largely jersey-clad crowd collectively screams “Night/knight” during the US anthem (“gave proof through the NIGHT…”), it’s clear that the locals are all in.

And while the circus-like atmosphere abates during play, like basketball there is no dead air in the spaces in between as cheerleaders, the ever-present dance cam and a DJ do their things (including a nod to the traditional with a romp through the requisite Stompin’ Tom staple, “The Hockey Song.”)

And make no mistake, despite the chequered history of other southern shinny cities, this unique Vegas experience isn’t going to go away, even if the team eventually comes back to earth and begins playing like the expansion team it is.

That’s because Vegas is evolving into a full-time sport town (with almost every major sport covered at the professional, if not major league level – hockey, soccer, basketball, motor racing, and, coming in 2020, NFL, with the Raiders on the way from Oakland). But, also, because corporate Vegas is unreservedly backing sports in the city with a mandate for Las Vegas to “not just be the entertainment capital of the world, but the sports capital of the world too,” according to MGM Resorts International senior VP of sports & sponsorships Lance Evans.

And with mighty MGM claiming its bona fides as “a world-class sports and entertainment organization – more than just casinos,” the company is determined, says Evans, to ensure that a night with the Knights is “the best game experience in the country.” And because VGK play in an arena owned and staffed by MGM (which is also a sponsor of the team), the company has the ability and motivation to integrate entertainment into the experience in a fashion that Evans says will always be “second to none.”

The experience extends beyond the arena. MGM’s T-Mobile Arena is located mere steps from amenities of Las Vegas’s famous Strip, but also directly between two MGM hotels – New York, New York, and the new Park MGM – which are connected by a new and dazzling pedestrian zone lined with bars and restaurants dubbed “The Park” (with the wider area including the hotels called ‘The Neighborhood’).

“We believe the experience isn’t limited to the game,” says Evan, adding, “The experience starts when you arrive in Las Vegas. Pre- and post-game are so important.”

Indeed, MGM’s motto is “We’re not born to be bored.”

Clearly, MGM’s vision is working. Before and after games, the Neighbourhood is crawling with game-goers decked out in Golden Knights jerseys (and for the opposing team – Vancouver on my recent visit), as they crowd the restaurants and bars and the hotels themselves, including the casino. “We don’t want there to be a lag when people leave our hotels. We want our venues to be as close as possible to our hotels,” says Evans. (To this end, the NFL stadium is being built similarly close to the Mandalay Bay).

But there’s more to it than populating the local Vegas Neighbourhoods. “We are positioning ourselves as a global sports brand, a global leader. The goal is to drive awareness and visitors to our properties,” Evans reveals.

Not to mention, the golden nugget: “What’s next? Sports betting!” he says. With 20 MGM International properties scattered across the US and sponsorships of multiple teams in multiple sports (the newest, the Boston Red Sox, was announced on March 9), as well as official sports betting partnerships with the NHL and Major League Baseball, Evans says, “We want to drive and expand this [through sports betting] and then have people come to Vegas to have a physical versus virtual experience.”

It’s the best of both worlds: sports betting revenue and bums in beds (and bar, restaurant, casino and arena seats). In this context, the little, plucky Golden Knight have become too big to fail. Bet on it.