Golden Knights Trade Original Misfit Reilly Smith To Penguins
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 13: Reilly Smith #19 of the Vegas Golden Knights and family pose with the Stanley Cup
The lineup of “Original Misfits” still on the Golden Knights’ roster just got a little bit smaller.
The Stanley Cup winning Golden Knights announced that Reilly Smith has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick.
“An original Misfit. A leader on the ice and in our community. A Stanley Cup Champion,” the team tweeted. “Thanks for the memories, Reilly. Vegas will always love you.”
Acquired from Florida in an expansion draft-related trade, Reilly Smith played the last six seasons with the Golden Knights. This past year, the 32-year-old forward appeared in 78 regular season games and racked up 26 goals on 56 points.
In the VGK’s Stanley Cup championship run, he appeared in all 22 games, recording four goals and 10 assists. Two of those goals and three assists came in the Stanley Cup Final against Florida.
In recognition of his charitable work, he was the team’s nominee this year for the King Clancy Trophy, which goes to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
A pillar in the community, Smith held the annual Battle For Vegas Charity Softball game which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. The next Battle For Vegas Softball game is scheduled for July 22 at the Las Vegas Ballpark.
Trading Smith frees up $5 million of the salary cap for the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights now have up to $13.4 million of cap space to work with pending what happens with Robin Lehner.
The deal is the first big roster change for new Penguins president, Kyle Dubas, who is working towards getting the team back into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This may be the first shift in the Golden Knights roster, but it also may not be the last, and things may look a little different at the fortress for the 23-24 season.
Update: Golden Knights have signed Ivan Barbashev to a five-year contract extension!
Vegas Golden Knights Parade Electrifies Las Vegas Strip
On Saturday, a sea of people twinkling gold, silver and black overtook the Las Vegas Strip in celebration of the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup Parade.
Over 100,000 people squished in the narrow streets of Las Vegas Boulevard with Toshiba Plaza reaching capacity before the parade even started.
It was a true celebration done with Las Vegas fanfare with some of the players getting noticeably inebriated during the parade.
We even got a treat from William Karlsson, who delivered one of the best drunk speeches of all time. It made no sense, yet the message was clear: They did it for the city, and they brought home the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup.
Someone involved with the team tried to snatch the microphone from him a few times amid the post-parade rally, but they were unsuccessful. Finally, someone was able to quell his slurred speech of fiery happiness by confiscating the microphone.
During the parade, the busses of players, coaches, and family members crept past the eager crowd. People and players who were in the parade could be seen pouring shaken beers across the cacophony of people, allowing the gold liquid to explode among the crowd.
The Las Vegas Strip became packed to the brim with people, many of who were wearing their shiniest and brightest VGK gear. The buzzing chant of “GO KNIGHTS GO,” could be heard throughout the parade route.
After the parade, the party continued in Toshiba Plaza. It was equally as chaotic and celebratory with the entire team displayed among the fortress stage.
Music blared, people cheered and the energy was colorful with celebration. People from Las Vegas and across the country were enjoying the few hours of the Vegas Golden Knights Parade and essentially party. The Strip was shut down and within those few hours, the city felt connected and together.
Bruce Cassidy spoke humble words saying that it was an honor to coach the team. Mark Stone’s speech was filled with the emotional ups and downs that came with this win. Other players drunkenly gushed about how good winning the Cup felt while also thanking the fans.
As the streamers, confetti and lights flashed across Toshiba Plaza, this scene was an emblem of the true meaning behind this win: From the ashes of darkness, light and greatness will rise.
GO. KNIGHTS. GO.
Carla Rea is the morning show co-host on “The Mike and Carla Morning Show" on 96.3 KKLZ, in Las Vegas. She has been working with her partner and friend Mike O'Brian for the past 25 plus years. At KKLZ for 12 years. Carla Rea is a Gracie Award winner. She started out in talk radio, "when talk radio was still fun" Rea says. Prior to, and along with doing the morning show, Carla is also a comedian. You may have seen her on Conan O'Brien, Evening at The Improv, Showtime, or several comedy clubs across the country. Carla also worked as a light feature reporter at KSNV/NBC Las Vegas, going behind the scenes at various shows, and restaurants on the Las Vegas strip. As a content creator 96.3 KKLZ, Carla writes in a sarcastic, cheeky, unapologetic way on Las Vegas, movies, TV, celebrities, and this thing we call life.
