18 June 2023 , 10:56
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The Vegas Golden Knights have been parading through the streets to celebrate their maiden Stanley Cup win.
Tuesday saw the Golden Knights lifting the prestigious championship trophy in front of their home fans at T-Mobile Arena. Winning Game 5g sealed a gentleman's sweep over their opponents, the Florida Panthers.
Wild celebrations ensued inside the locker room, with the champagne flowing and players drinking from the Stanley Cup trophy to mark the occasion. The players continued the party at OMNIA Nightclub inside Caesars Palace, where Steve Aoki was DJing.
Even before the Cup Final got underway, the organization were offered a lifetime of free lap dances by a Las Vegas strip club if they were victorious in their second shot at Stanley Cup glory. They lost on their other visit to the championship series in 2017, their inaugural season as a franchise.
Players showed off the trophy to thousands of fans (Getty Images)In winning half a dozen years later, the Golden Knights became the first men's team from the city to win a major championship. The Las Vegas Aces were the first organization to do so after winning the WNBA Finals in 2022.
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Saturday's parade followed the same mile-long route as the Aces' did back in September down Las Vegas Boulevard. The city shut down their strip for the celebrations as tens of thousands lined the streets.
The roster rode down on a fleet of open-top buses, with several stars stepping down to immerse themselves with their cheering fans. Several players brought the Stanley Cup down to give those onlookers a closer view of the championship trophy.
The Stanley Cup trophy was on display for the thousands of fans lining the streets (NHLI via Getty Images)Shirtless center Jack Eichel was a star of the show, engaging with fans on the barriers by signing autographs and handing out personal souvenirs. The former Buffalo Sabres player capped off the evening by running down the strip with a Golden Knights flag a fan handed him.
Toshiba Plaza, an area in front of the city's arena where the Aces also call home, welcomed a capacity crowd as others watched as the events unfolded well into the night. After celebrating championships in consecutive years and the Aces leading the WNBA ten games into the regular season, T-Mobile Arena is becoming accustomed to success.
As Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday: "Vegas has become a market just like all the other major ones now, slowly but surely.
Several players celebrated with their fans during the parade (NHLI via Getty Images)"You gotta build some history to do that. And to build history, you gotta win championships."
Las Vegas is no longer just known for its boxing after waiting decades for team sports to embrace the area. The Raiders are well-established at Allegiant Stadium, and the Oakland Athletics moving to Sin City seems inevitable.
November will see Formula One race there for the first time. It is also one of the premier places, alongside the likes of Seattle, when the NBA expands in the coming years.