Golden Knights hold moving ceremony to honor Las Vegas shooting victims, first responders

LAS VEGAS — On a night when the community was supposed to celebrate the Vegas Golden Knights it was the Golden Knights celebrating the lives of others.

In a 40-minute pregame ceremony, the NHL’s newest team paid tribute to the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and to the first responders whose actions saved many.

Instead of the normal player introductions associated with the franchise’s first home game, the Golden Knights introduced doctors, nurses, firemen, police officers and paramedics, who walked onto the ice accompanied by a player.

The PA announcer referred to the first responders as “our heroes” and “the best of human kind.”

The ceremony included a 58-second moment of silence to honor the 58 people killed when Stephen Paddock opened fire on an outdoor concert crowd from a hotel window on the Las Vegas Strip last week

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Each of the victims’ names was superimposed on the ice during a moment of the silence.

All advertising was removed from the boards and replaced with the hashtag #VegasStrong. Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz said every advertiser agreed unanimously to have their signs removed as a show of respect for ceremony.

At the start of the ceremony, players from opposing NHL teams were seen on the video screen sending a “Vegas Strong” message. The Las Vegas-based band Imagine Dragons, plus Adam Levine and Lee Brice, were among other celebrities with a prerecorded “Vegas Strong” message.

Survivors of the tragedy joined team owner Bill Foley at center ice for a ceremonial faceoff.

The Arizona Coyotes, the Golden Knights’ Tuesday opponent, stood behind them in a show of unity for the faceoff and national anthem.

The ceremony closed with Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland taking the microphone and reminding fans that he met his wife in Vegas and that his children were born there.

“Like all of you,” Engelland said, “I am proud to call Vegas home.”

He thanked all of the first responders and then pledged that Vegas players would do “all that we can to help heal.”

“We are Vegas strong,” he said.

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The Vegas players have said they hope they can provide a distraction that will help the healing. They capped the night’s tribute by claiming a 4-0 lead in first 10:42 of the game. Vegas' Tomas Nosek scored 2:32 into the game, and James Neal scored twice. The other goal fittingly was scored Engelland, who is not known as a goal scorer. He only scored four goals all of last season.