PWHL Las Vegas has its first big dates on the calendar.
According to Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the new franchise will open training camp on Nov. 18, with every team set to play two scrimmages during camp. Las Vegas will then host the Minnesota Frost on Nov. 22 and the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Nov. 24 at America First Center in Henderson.
The team still has not announced an official name, so the guessing game continues for fans. But the larger picture is already taking shape: a new women’s hockey club is set to join the growing game in Nevada, alongside the Golden Knights in the city’s hockey landscape.
The timing also speaks to how far hockey has come in the Silver State. The Golden Knights helped ignite that surge, and the sport has kept spreading across the state ever since. With PWHL Las Vegas now entering the mix, the local sports scene gets another layer of depth.
There’s plenty in Las Vegas sports history to suggest fans will show up for a team that can win. The Golden Knights made an immediate impact when they arrived in 2017-18, and that kind of momentum has carried beyond men’s sports.
The Las Vegas Aces proved that point in the WNBA. Powered by players like A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, they have won three WNBA titles since moving from San Antonio, along with a Commissioner's Cup. That run turned them into one of the most decorated teams in the city.
The Raiders have had a tougher time, with only one playoff appearance since relocating to Las Vegas. Even so, the roster has a young core that includes Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and Fernando Mendoza, which has given the franchise a more encouraging outlook.
PWHL Las Vegas is backed by the Mark Walter Group, which also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series titles in the past two seasons, and that kind of ownership pedigree only adds to the optimism around the new hockey venture in Las Vegas.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Trade Idea Could Change Their Center Group Fast
The center mix in Vegas has been one of the more interesting roster questions heading into the season, and a fan-created trade pitch has surfaced a possible way to shake it up quickly. The idea would send Pavel Zacha from Boston to the Golden Knights in a package built around Nic Dowd, Trevor Connelly, and a 2028 first-round pick, a framework that immediately speaks to how aggressively Vegas tends to approach roster upgrades when it sees a fit.
Zachas appeal is pretty straightforward for the Golden Knights: he brings size, is still in a prime age range, and plays a style that could slot into multiple roles in their lineup. Any deal of that magnitude would likely require salary retention, but that is the sort of complexity Vegas has not been afraid to tackle before, especially with Kelly McCrimmon at the controls and another Stanley Cup push always in view. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Have A Roster Battle Fans Should Be Watching
Braeden Bowman gave the Golden Knights something to think about last season, even if his rise came under difficult circumstances. The undrafted forward was called up after captain Mark Stone was injured and made an immediate impression, scoring five goals and 11 points in his first 15 NHL games while showing he could hang at the level right away.
The challenge now is turning that burst into something lasting. Bowman saw his production dip in the second half of the season, but the experience he gained should matter as he tries to earn a permanent spot in Vegas and prove his early run was more than a short-term spark. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Golden Knights Keep Choosing A Risky D-Zone Tradeoff
A defensive-zone faceoff has become one of the NHLs more revealing moments, and the Golden Knights are among the teams willing to make a calculated trade there. Rather than always trying to hold the puck and build a clean exit, teams often choose the quicker, riskier route of sending it up ice immediately after a win. It can look messy in real time, with scrambles, contested puck battles and the occasional chance against, but it also changes the geometry of the ice in a hurry.
For Vegas, the appeal is in the balance between possession and positioning. In a game that moves as fast as this one does, sometimes the best way to protect yourself is to advance the puck before the forecheck can fully close in. It is the same strategic idea other teams have leaned into to blunt pressure and create better field position, even if it means living with a few uncomfortable moments along the way. [Read more 🡒]