VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES:
AGAINST THE KRAKEN
All-Time Series: (7-1-0); at Vegas: (3-1-0); at Seattle: (4-0-0)
WINTER CLASSIC NOTES: TAKE ME OUT TO THE HOCKEY GAME
The Vegas Golden Knights have their sights set on Seattle to face the Kraken in the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners, on New Year’s Day. Seattle and Vegas, the League’s two newest franchises, will play its first and second outdoor game in franchise history, respectively. The Golden Knights last played in the 2021 NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe against the Colorado Avalanche where they fell 3-2. Vegas is set to be the seventh reigning Stanley Cup Champion to compete in an outdoor game, defending champions are 5-0-1 in those contests.
RETURNING TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS
There are 16 members of the Golden Knights who have previously appeared in an outdoor game during their NHL careers. Alec Martinez leads the Vegas roster with three outdoor game appearances (2014, 2020 Stadium Series, and 2021 NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe). Ivan Barbashev (WC 2022), Jack Eichel (WC 2018), and Alex Pietrangelo (WC 2017) are all set to skate in their second Winter Classic game of their career.
NEW YEAR’S DAY SUCCESS
The Golden Knights have played on New Year’s Day only one other time in their young history. Vegas and Los Angeles met on Jan. 1, 2019, at T-Mobile Arena to compete in a back-and-forth contest that ended with two goals in the third period by the Golden Knights to blank the Kings, 2-0.
VGK SKATER QUICK HITS
– Alec Martinez’s appearance with Los Angeles in the 2020 Stadium Series at the Air Force Academy on Feb. 15 was his last contest dressing for the Kings, four days later Martinez was traded to Vegas – Michael Amadio and Martinez are the only pair of Golden Knights who have previously competed in an outdoor game together with a different franchise (2020 Stadium Series, LAK) – 12 current Golden Knights competed in the 2021 NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe opener against the Avalanche, the first outdoor game in VGK history – Alex Pietrangelo, Zach Whitecloud, and Jonathan Marchessault each tallied assists in the Vegas’ 3-2 loss to Colorado at Lake Tahoe – Mark Stone competed for Ottawa in the NHL100 Classic on Dec. 16, 2017, against current Silver Knights forward Byron Froese with Montreal – Stone tallied an assist in the 3-0 Senators victory
CLOSING TIME
The Golden Knights closed out their third regular season series this year with the Kings on Thursday night. Vegas has already closed series with Dallas (3-0-0) and Philadelphia (1-0-1), while Los Angeles (2-1-0) is the first Pacific Division opponent that Vegas will not face again during the 2023-24 regular season.
SEATTLE KRAKEN NOTES:
CURRENT INJURIES – (MAN GAMES LOST: 83)
Jaden Schwartz (upper body; LTIR) – 13 games – week-to-week
Philipp Grubauer (no designation; IR) – 9 games – week-to-week
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (lower body; IR) – 4 games – week-to-week
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
Dec. 30, 2023: Reassigned defenseman Ryker Evans to Coachella Valley (AHL)
GAME NOTES
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• The Seattle Kraken are facing off against the Vegas Golden Knights today in the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic® at TMobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners. • Seattle will be the youngest NHL franchise to compete in a regular-season outdoor game, eclipsing Vegas which was contesting its fourth season in 2021 according to NHL Stats. • Tomas Tatar tallied two points with the Red Wings in both the 2017 Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium and 2016 Stadium Series at Coors Field. He can become the first player in NHL history to record multiple points in three regular-season outdoor games, eclipsing Sean Couturier, Zach Hyman, Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak and Henrik Zetterberg (all 2x) according to NHL Stats. • According to NHL Stats, Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane, Wash.) is set to become the 68th different NHL player to dress in a regular-season outdoor game in his birth state or province and fourth among those born outside of Canada, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota or New York. He can join Matt Nieto (Long Beach, Calif.) in the 2015 Stadium Series at Levi’s Stadium as well as Chris Chelios (Chicago, Ill.) and Brett Lebda (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) in the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. • Matty Beniers is set to become the sixth reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner to skate in a regular-season outdoor game according to NHL Stats, following Kirill Kaprizov (2022 WC), Cale Makar (2021 LT), Artemi Panarin (2017 WC), Patrick Kane (2009 WC) and Evgeni Malkin (2008 WC). • Andre Burakovsky has five points (three goals, two assists) in his last four games against the Golden Knights.
WINTER IS COMING
• Today’s game will mark the first-ever outdoor NHL event in Seattle and will also mark the first outdoor game for the Kraken. o The Golden Knights have played one outdoor game previously on Feb. 20, 2021, a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Lake Tahoe. • The 2024 Winter Classic will also mark the second outdoor game held in the Seattle Area. The Spokane Chiefs and the Kootenay Ice faced off in the Rockstar Outdoor Hockey Classic on Jan. 15, 2011 at Avista Stadium in Spokane. The Chiefs defeated the Ice 11-2. o The event marked the first outdoor game in both Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League history. • The 2024 Winter Classic will be the ninth held at an MLB Stadium. Wrigley Field (2009), Fenway Park (2010, 2023), Citizens Bank Park (2012), Nationals Park (2015), Busch Stadium (2017), Citi Field (2018) and Target Field (2022) have all previously been host to a Winter Classic. • T-Mobile Park also hosted the 2023 MLB All-Star Game this year, which took place on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
HEATING UP
• The Kraken enter today’s game riding an eight-game point streak. A win or overtime loss today would give the Kraken points in nine consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. • The Kraken will become the second NHL franchise to play a regular-season outdoor contest with an active point streak of at least eight games, following the Bruins in the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park (7-0-3) according to NHL Stats. • Additionally, Seattle is the sixth team in NHL history to record a point streak of at least eight games following a winless streak of at least eight games according to NHL Stats, joining the Atlanta Flames (1974-75), Boston Bruins (1980-81), Calgary Flames (1992-93), Los Angeles Kings (1973-74) and Washington Capitals (2010-11). • A victory today would also give Seattle wins in five straight games for the first time since they also won five consecutive games from April 3 to 10, 2023. • The Kraken have only allowed 12 goals against in their current eight-game point streak. Their 12 goals against and 1.50 goals against per game both top the NHL since Dec. 12. • Each of Seattle’s last six games have been decided by one goal. The Kraken are 4-0-2 in those games.
CHEERS TO THE NEW YEAR
• The Kraken finished 2023 record with a 42-30-13 record in 85 regular-season games. Their 97 points and were tied for 12th in the NHL and their 42 wins ranked 15th entering play Sunday. • Seattle scored 270 goals in 2023, which was the 11th-most in the NHL entering play Sunday. • The Kraken had an 82.1 percent success rate on the penalty kill when playing in 2023, which was the ninth-best mark in the NHL entering play Sunday. • Seattle won seven more games, had 21 more points and improved their points percentage by 0.119 from 2022 to 2023. The team also improved both its power play and penalty kill by 4.4 percent and 11.1 percent, respectively. • Vince Dunn was the Kraken’s leading scorer in 2023, totaling 75 points (16 goals, 59 assists) in 84 games played. His 59 assists were also the best mark of any Seattle skater. o Dunn’s 75 points and 59 assists in 2023 were both the second-most among all NHL defenseman entering play Sunday, trailing only Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes (91 points, 75 assists) for the league lead. o His 59 assists in 2023 ranked 13th in the league entering play Sunday. • Jared McCann’s 38 goals in 2023 were the most of any Kraken skater and tied for 15th in the NHL entering play Sunday.
