On Thursday night, Vegas Golden Knights chairman and CEO Bill Foley announced the name and logo of the newest franchise in the American Hockey League (AHL): The Henderson Silver Knights.
The announcement was made during a one-hour live show called “Reveal Knight,” in which the story of the name, logo, and overall brand were explained and eventually shown to the public. It was an impressive event that built excitement for the Silver Knights to hit the ice.
The Name: the Silver Knights
This one is a bit obvious, but the name “Silver Knights” pays homage to the parent franchise of the Golden Knights. It was the betting favorite going into the reveal, but the simplicity of the choice should play well. Henderson can build off the Golden Knights brand, which is already a proven success, while maintaining a fan connection with both teams.
Today is a momentous day for our organization, the City of Henderson and the entire Southern Nevada community. After years of planning and preparation, we finally get to welcome the Henderson Silver Knights home. When we started our initial ticket drive to bring hockey to Vegas and create the team we now know as the Golden Knights, it was obvious this community had all the makings of a great hockey city. That being said, the passion and enthusiasm our fans have shown us over the past three years is greater than anything we could have imagined. Now our fans can watch more hockey right in their backyard and keep a close eye on our players’ journeys as they advance through our ranks with the intention of achieving the ultimate goal: Becoming a Vegas Golden Knight.
Vegas Golden Knights Chairman and CEO Bill Foley via NHL.com
As you can see in the video reveal of the new name and logo, the design shares many characteristics with the Golden Knights. The logo itself is much more detailed than one would notice at first glance. Foley and the rest of the Knights’ organization put thought into every minute detail.
The Logo: An Armored Warhorse
The Silver Knights logo is meant to resemble a medieval armored warhorse, which is synonymous with the era of the Knight. The warhorse represents strength, endurance, and fearlessness. Without the warhorse, Knights would not have been able to become the elite class of warrior that they became. That is the thought process of the Vegas organization: the Silver Knights are the warhorse of the Golden Knights.
The horse played a vital role in a knight’s quest to become elite, assisting in the knight’s training, skill advancement and overall development. As the primary affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, the Henderson Silver Knights hold an identical position: Assisting in every aspect of the knight’s quest to become an elite warrior.
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There is incredible attention to detail in the logo. The silver armor on the horse creates an “H” for Henderson, similar to the way the Knight’s helmet in the Golden Knights logo creates a “V” for Vegas. The horse has golden eyes signifying the focus and eventual goal of all Silver Knights: to advance to the level of Golden Knights. Twenty chainmail links and 21 rivets on the horse’s armor represent the inaugural season of the Silver Knights, 2020-21.
Everything came together very quickly for Foley and the Golden Knights organization. They purchased the San Antonio Rampage, the St. Louis Blues affiliate, on Feb. 6. The AHL then approved the sale and relocation to Henderson on Feb. 28. On May 19, the Henderson City Council approved an $84 million project to build a permanent home for the new franchise. Foley knew the benefits of having an AHL affiliate so close to the Golden Knights headquarters in Vegas and worked tirelessly to make it happen.
“We call guys up, they don’t have to fly in from Chicago. They just drive across town. If someone gets the flu the night of a game, we call someone up and they report to T-Mobile [Arena, a 13-minute drive from the site of the new arena]. It’s so convenient and it makes so much sense.”
Bill Foley via Knights On Ice
Thursday night’s reveal was another positive chapter in the Golden Knights short history as an organization. We can all look forward to watching the Silver Knights in action next season.