A brief update on my post a few months ago about the new NHL team based in Las Vegas, scheduled to begin play in October 2017. As I discussed in my post, the team created some publicity by revealing only part of the team name a few months ago, the “Las Vegas [Something] Knights.” The team kept us on the edge of our seats back in September by hinting that the name would be one of three options: The Las Vegas Silver Knights, Desert Knights, or Golden Knights.
At a ceremony on November 22, the full team name was finally announced: The Vegas Golden Knights. Below is the team’s logo, which was revealed on Twitter:
The naming ceremony, with around 5,000 fans in attendance, took place outside the new T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip, where the hockey team will play. No word yet on whether the team will make use of the alternative team names it hinted (Desert Knights or Silver Knights). As I mentioned in my last post, the team filed intent-to-use trademark applications on all three alternative names, perhaps to disguise which team name would be chosen. There have not been any status updates on those trademark applications since the time of filing. (See Application Serial Nos. 87147274, 87147273, 87147261, 87147254, 86526792, 87147265, and 87147269.)
From a branding perspective, the new name has been met with some mixed reviews, although some of the reception has been positive, with the caveat that the naming ceremony itself was a mess. However, the name may encounter some legal hurdles, as U.S. Army officials are considering a challenge. The Army announced that it is conducting a legal review of the hockey team’s use of the “Golden Nights” name because the Army has used that name since the 1960s for the U.S. Army Parachute Team, based at Fort Bragg. The team owner, Bill Foley, stated that he is not planning to change the team name in response to the Army’s concerns. It will be interesting to see whether the Army files oppositions to the team’s trademark applications. Stay tuned for updates.