Posted on: October 12, 2023, 11:38h.
Last updated on: October 12, 2023, 11:38h.
The Vegas Golden Knights hockey team raised their championship banner in a unique Vegas ceremony this week. Prior to the ’23-’24 season opener at the T-Mobile Arena, captain Mark Stone pulled the lever of a 12-foot-tall slot machine, revealing three Stanley Cup symbols in a row.
The banner was then released from the top of the slot machine, resembling a winning casino voucher.
In contrast to real slot machines, this one could not be hacked. It was operated by human beings instead of software technology.
According to The Athletic, the wheel animations were displayed on three vertically positioned 60-inch flat-screen TVs and were activated by a button operated by Golden Knights VP Andrew Abrams. The slot machine sounds were controlled by the arena DJ. The rigging crew lifted the banner based on cues called out by Tyler Ferraro, the team’s senior manager of entertainment experience.
“That’s what makes that moment so special,” Ferraro told The Athletic. “It brings together every department of the team to create this significant moment, and everyone delivered.”
Watch the video:
The slot machine concept was Abrams’ idea, which came to him while washing dishes at home during the Golden Knights’ playoff run this year.
“I thought, ‘If we win, wouldn’t it be cool if the banner came out of a slot machine?'” Abrams told The Athletic. “I kept that thought to myself at the time. You can’t go around saying, ‘Hey guys, wouldn’t this be cool if we win?'”
Pregame On
The team’s pregame shows have become spectacles in their own right. Since joining the NHL in 2017, every home game is preceded by an elaborate theatrical performance that lasts up to 10 minutes. It includes clips building up anticipation for the game ahead and features an on-ice production with special effects, starring an actor dressed as a sword-wielding golden knight.
According to The Athletic, the hockey team has a dedicated team of 13 members focused on entertainment, plus four camera and editing personnel, three motion graphics specialists, and a crew of about 100 individuals handling lights, audio, and rigging on game days.
“We have six years of fan support for these incredible pregame shows,” Ferraro told The Athletic. “Knowing that the fans are behind us means a lot, especially in the most entertaining city in the world.”
How to Top a Pregame Show Like That
There’s only one way, and the Golden Knights achieved it. They defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1.
In just their seventh season, the Golden Knights have experienced remarkable success, winning three division championships, two conference championships, and a Stanley Cup.