Henderson Silver Knights Explained

Current:2023–24 AHL season
Bg Color:background:#c3c7c9; border-top:#1e191a 5px solid; border-bottom:#c3c7c9 5px solid;
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Team:Henderson Silver Knights
City:Henderson, Nevada
League:American Hockey League
Conference:Western
Division:Pacific
Arena:Lee's Family Forum
Colors:Henderson silver, Vegas gold, medieval black
Owner:Black Knight Sports and Entertainment (Bill Foley, Chair)
Gm:Tim Speltz[1]
Coach:Ryan Craig[2]
Captain:Jake Bischoff
Media:MyLVTV
1230 AM The Game
Affiliates:Vegas Golden Knights (NHL)
Tahoe Knight Monsters (ECHL)
Name1:Tidewater Wings
Dates1:1971–1972
Name2:Virginia Wings
Dates2:1972–1975
Name3:Adirondack Red Wings
Dates3:1979–1999
Name4:San Antonio Rampage
Dates4:2002–2020
Name5:Henderson Silver Knights

The Henderson Silver Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in Henderson, Nevada, that began play in the 2020–21 American Hockey League (AHL) season. The team plays its home games at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada. The team is an owned-and-operated affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights.

History

The franchise began in 1971 as the Tidewater/Virginia Wings in the Norfolk, Virginia of the greater Hampton Roads area. The team played in Virginia as an owned and operated affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings until 1975 where after a two year suspension they moved to Glens Falls, New York as the Adirondack Red Wings. In 1999, the Red Wings suspended operations of the team. The franchise remained dormant until 2002, when it was purchased by the ownership of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and resurrected as the San Antonio Rampage.[3] The team then spent the next eighteen years in San Antonio.

On February 6, 2020, the Vegas Golden Knights announced it had purchased the franchise from the Spurs with the intent to relocate it to the Las Vegas area.[4] The purchase and relocation was approved by the league on February 28.[5] The team was announced to initially play at the Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada,[6] while the club's new 6,000-seat arena is constructed at the site of the Henderson Pavilion in Henderson, Nevada.[7]

On May 28, 2020, the Vegas Golden Knights announced the team name as the Henderson Silver Knights.[8] The team is named for Nevada's nickname "The Silver State" and adopted the slogan "Home Means Henderson," inspired by the Nevada state song "Home Means Nevada." On August 31, 2020, Emanuel Viveiros was announced as the club's initial head coach.[9] The start of the Silver Knights' inaugural season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 5, 2021, the team named Patrick Brown as their first captain a day before their inaugural game of the 2020–21 AHL season.[10] The Silver Knights finished their first regular season earning the top seed in the Pacific Division. The Pacific Division was the only division in the AHL that chose to have a postseason, and the teams had a playoff for the John D. Chick Trophy and division title. As the top seed, the team earned a bye to the semifinals, where they swept the San Jose Barracuda in two games before losing the division championship to the second seeded Bakersfield Condors in three games.

When the 2021–22 season schedule was released, it was revealed the Silver Knights would begin play in Henderson earlier than expected with the first home game at the new Dollar Loan Center (now Lee's Family Forum) to take place on April 2, 2022.[11] In the 2022 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, the Silver Knights lost in the first round to the Colorado Eagles in a 2–0 series sweep.

Season-by-season records

Regular seasonPlayoffs
Season GP W L OTL SOL Pts PCT GF GA Standing Year Prelims 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Finals
39 25 13 0 1 51 .654 125 102 1st, Pacific BYE BYE L, 1–2, BAK
68 35 28 4 1 75 .551 209 203 6th, Pacific
72 29 38 0 5 63 .438 201 221 9th, Pacific Did not qualify
72 28 36 3 5 64 .444 190 243 8th, Pacific Did not qualify

Players

Current roster

Updated August 1, 2024.[12]

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Team captains

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tim Speltz Named General Manager of the Henderson Silver Knights . OurSports Central . September 2, 2021.
  2. Web site: Ryan Craig Named Head Coach of Henderson Silver Knights. National Hockey League. 26 June 2023 . en-US. 2023-06-26.
  3. Web site: Fischel . Mark . San Antonio Rampage "Stampede" into the AHL . HockeysFuture.com . January 30, 2003 . June 17, 2005.
  4. Web site: Vegas Golden Knights Purchase AHL Franchise Membership . National Hockey League . February 6, 2020.
  5. Web site: AHL heading to Las Vegas in 2020-21 . AHL . February 28, 2020.
  6. Web site: Vegas Golden Knights Issue AHL Update . National Hockey League . February 12, 2020.
  7. Web site: Vegas Golden Knights And City Of Henderson Issue AHL Update . National Hockey League . February 13, 2020.
  8. Web site: It's Henderson Silver Knights!. 8newsnow.com . 2020-05-28.
  9. Web site: Henderson Silver Knights Announce Hiring Of Head Coach Manny Viveiros . NHL.com . August 31, 2020.
  10. Web site: Henderson Silver Knights Name Leadership Group for Inaugural Season . OurSports Central . February 5, 2021.
  11. Web site: AHL Silver Knights to end 2021-22 schedule in new home . . July 23, 2021.
  12. Web site: Roster - Henderson Silver Knights. August 1, 2024 .
  13. Web site: Henderson Silver Knights Name Leadership Group For Inaugural Season . Henderson Silver Knights . February 5, 2021 . October 17, 2023.
  14. Web site: Ryan Murphy Wins Eddie Shore Award . Henderson Silver Knights . June 2, 2021 . October 17, 2023 . [Murphy] was promoted to captain late in the season after Patrick Brown was recalled by the Vegas Golden Knights..
  15. Web site: Brayden Pachal Named Captain of Silver Knights. Henderson Silver Knights. January 20, 2022. October 17, 2023.
  16. Web site: Jake Bischoff Named Captain of Silver Knights . Henderson Silver Knights . October 12, 2023 . October 17, 2023.