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Stanley Cup: the Golden Knights’ method can no longer be criticized

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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Stanley Cup: the Golden Knights’ method can no longer be criticized
Last night, the Golden Knights won the first Stanley Cup in their history. Bruce Cassidy and his men put together an impressive playoff run to win the first championship in franchise history.

After all, who would have thought that Adin Hill would lead them to the promised land?

Because yes, the Golden Knights’ method has been called into question. From a club of rejects (that was the story in 2018, in the final against Washington), the Knights learned how to win and became a club of villains.

And why? Because, like the Lighnting against the Canadiens in 2021, Vegas won the Cup with a huge payroll.

I don’t intend to throw the first stone at the organization since what was done is legal. She does, however, have to live with the fact that many people don’t like what she’s done.

That said, when you can take a photo like that… it’s easier to live with, let’s say.

You can see that the Golden Knights haven’t forgotten where they came from, since it’s guys like Reilly Smith. Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Brayden McNabb, Shea Thedore and William Carrier, guys from the 2017-2018 edition, who touched the Cup among the first.

The first, of course, was Mark Stone, whose acquisition from Ottawa changed everything.

The club’s recipe for talent has paid off. Mark Stone and Jack Eichel, to name but a few, have been important this year. The same goes for Alex Pietrangelo, who was signed as a high-priced free agent.

The bold gamble of trading quality youngsters for veterans also paid off, because when you win, it changes everything.

Take Nick Suzuki, for example. The Habs captain was (notably) traded for Max Pacioretty, who was given to the Hurricanes to make room under the salary cap.

Vegas was criticized for this… but today, the team can’t hear its critics because it has a Stanley Cup ring in its ear.

It’s more the Panthers who have to bite their fingers since, as you know, it was the Sunrise organization that ate the most slap in the 2017 expansion draft.

It’s easy to say in hindsight, but…

But still: it’s ironic that Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith won the Stanley Cup against these same Panthers six years later. Life’s a funny thing sometimes, isn’t it?

And since Marchessault was (rightly) named playoff MVP, it adds insult to injury.

Patrick Roy’s protégé with the Remparts became the 10th player to win the Conn-Smythe without being drafted, and the first since a certain Wayne Gretzky. That’s quite a resume builder.

But the difference is that Gretzky and the others are former AMH members who would have been drafted. The Quebecer, on the other hand, is really a player who wasn’t drafted because he wasn’t wanted.

Ultimately, Gary Bettman’s gamble to make an NHL club work in Vegas will surely have been one of his greatest successes. After all, not only is field hockey doing well there, but since then, the valves of professional sport have been open in the City of Vice.

The commissioner saw right through that.

And let’s face it: when a party is held in Vegas, it’s not the same as elsewhere. I can’t wait to see how the club, which is extravagant in its celebrations, manages to honor the victory.

In any case, the fans will be there.

So it looks like club owner Bill Foley was right: he’s found the recipe to bring the Stanley Cup to Vegas in his six years in the NHL.

And NHL fans are the winners.


Extension

– The last time Vegas lost in the playoffs was to the 2021 Canadiens, a club that bears a striking resemblance to the 2023 Panthers. This is even truer since the defeat in the final.

– Jack Eichel is a Stanley Cup winner.

– Without the seriously injured Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers just weren’t the same. His challenge going forward? Learning to play in such a way as to be able to be healthy in June. But hats off to him, honestly: he gave it his all. Everything.

– Series: winning against Toronto is not recommended.

– When you think of Vegas, it’s hard not to spare a thought for Marc-André Fleury, who starred for the club for four years. And in Florida, we think of Jonathan Huberdeau.

– Three Quebecers won the Stanley Cup this year: Jonathan Marchessault, William Carrier and Nicolas Roy. The Stanley Cup will be coming to Quebec in the coming weeks.

– The Memorial Cup to the Frenchies … three guys from here who win the Cup… yes, it’s good for field hockey in Quebec.

– Let’s not forget that Vegas missed the playoffs last year. And a year later, Lord Stanley’s trophy will be taking a walk on the strip. That’s on Saturday, three days from now.

– Four squares of aces in six years: will the club break next year? After all, maybe the guys are tired.

– I wonder if Shea Weber will get any recognition. After all, even if he’s in Arizona (his contract is, anyway) and no longer playing, the club has a right to recognize guys.

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