The Golden Knights Celebrated Noche de Los VGK With a Low-Rider Show and Youth Players From Mexico

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

The team's program for the night put young players from Club Bufalos of Metepec on the T-Mobile Arena ice during the first intermission. Mites at Knight is the Golden Knights' intermission showcase for young players. Mites are the youngest level of organized hockey, so these are small kids in full gear, skating hard on the same sheet of ice where NHL players had just been.

Club Bufalos is not a random pick. The Golden Knights already knew this club. In September, the team took its second international LosVGK trip to Mexico City and Metepec. From Sept. 6 to 11, the team ran on-ice sessions with two youth clubs, Club Osos Coyoacan and Club Bufalos Metepec. About 300 players took part in total. The clinics were led by Brian Salcido, the team's Director of Coaching and Instructor Programming, along with former Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland and members of the Knights Guard. About seven weeks later, kids from one of those clubs were skating in Las Vegas.

Outside, on Paramount+ Plaza, the celebration started before the game. The team's plan for the plaza included face painting, a folklorico dance performance on the Allegiant Stage, a low-rider car show, and ofrendas honoring Dia de Muertos. Ofrendas are home altars with photos, flowers and favorite items that families build to remember loved ones who have passed.

Inside the arena, fans received a Noche de Los VGK battle towel. The menu had themed items like cola-braised tacos, tortas, carne asada fries and a horchata cold brew. The Hockey Hall of Fame brought two trophies for fans to take photos with on the concourse: the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. A mariachi performance was set for the second intermission, and DJ Supa James was the featured DJ in the Knight Club. Credit One presented the night.

The two trophies were a nice touch for hockey fans. The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl goes to the Western Conference champion each year, the team that wins the West and moves on to the Stanley Cup Final. The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy honors the player who best combines skill with sportsmanship and gentlemanly play. The team set them up on the concourse outside sections 11 and 12, so fans could grab a photo between periods.

And the hockey went Vegas's way. After a quiet first period, Braeden Bowman scored late in the second. Ottawa's Shane Pinto tied it on a power play early in the third. Then Raphael Lavoie scored his first NHL goal to put Vegas ahead, and William Karlsson and Jack Eichel each added empty-net goals. Adin Hill made 25 saves in the 4-1 win, starting in place of Carter Hart, who got hurt at the morning skate. We wrote about that in Adin Hill Steps Up as Carter Hart Gets Hurt.

Colorful papel picado banners strung across an outdoor space, like the Dia de Muertos decorations on Paramount+ Plaza for Noche de Los VGK

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Picture being eight years old and stepping onto NHL ice in front of a full arena. For the kids from Metepec, that is a memory for life. For local families, it is a reminder of something special about hockey in Las Vegas. This is a desert town that did not have an NHL team ten years ago. Now it has a team that runs clinics in other countries and brings young players back to its home rink.

That matters for the youth hockey scene here. The more the Golden Knights invest in growing the game, the more kids pick up a stick. Families in Summerlin, Henderson, Spring Valley and the northwest now have rinks, house leagues and travel programs close to home. Ten years ago, many of those options did not exist. Nights like this one keep the energy going.

Noche de Los VGK also matters because of who lives here. The Hispanic and Latino community is a huge part of the Las Vegas Valley. Many families have roots in Mexico. A night that celebrates Dia de Muertos with ofrendas and folklorico, and puts kids from Mexico on the ice, is a night a lot of local families feel at home in. It is a celebration, plain and simple.

There is a fun local angle on the car show too. Low-rider culture has deep roots in the Southwest, and Las Vegas has a strong car community. The team even sold a limited-edition die-cast model of its LosVGK-branded 1968 Chevy Impala low-rider as part of a ticket offer for the game. For a lot of fans, the car show was as big a draw as the hockey.

Dia de Muertos itself deserves a word. It is a tradition from Mexico that honors family members who have died. It is not a sad holiday in the way many people expect. Families decorate altars with marigolds, candles, photos and favorite foods, and they tell stories about the people they miss. Seeing ofrendas on the plaza outside an NHL arena tells local families that their traditions are welcome here. For kids growing up in Las Vegas, it is a chance to learn about a holiday their classmates and neighbors may celebrate at home.

There is also a simple community benefit to nights like this. They bring people out of their homes and into a shared space. Neighbors who might never meet at the grocery store end up next to each other on the plaza, watching folklorico dancers or looking at a candy-paint Impala. In a fast-growing valley where many people are new, those shared moments help a city feel like a community.

And for anyone who just loves a good game night, this was one. A win, a first NHL goal, music on the plaza, and great food. That is the Golden Knights experience at its best.

It was also a reminder that a hockey game can be more than a hockey game. For a few hours, an arena on the Strip became a place where families shared food, music, memories of loved ones and a love of the sport. That is the kind of thing that sticks with people long after the final score fades.

Classic lowrider car with bright orange and yellow paint, similar to the cars at the Noche de Los VGK low-rider show

Background and History

The LosVGK brand started in October 2023. The team created it to connect with its Hispanic and Latino fans. Since then, it has grown into a full program, not just a theme night.

In 2024, the Golden Knights launched a Spanish-language website to reach Hispanic and Latin American fans. In 2025, the team hosted the Amerigol LATAM Spring Classic, a four-day tournament at America First Center in Henderson. That event brought men's and women's national teams from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Puerto Rico to the valley. Then came the September 2026 trip to Mexico City and Metepec, the second international LosVGK trip.

The Mites at Knight moment ties all of that together. A team clinic in Mexico led to a youth club visit to Las Vegas, which led to kids on NHL ice. It is a clear line from the team's outreach to a real result on the ice.

Intermission games for young players are a long tradition in hockey. Many NHL teams give local youth teams a few minutes on the ice between periods. For the kids, it is a huge thrill. For fans, it is a fun break from the main game, and a reminder that every pro started as a little kid in oversized gear. What made this one different was the guest list. Instead of a local team, the Golden Knights invited a club from another country that they had already worked with on its home ice.

Hockey in Mexico is still small compared to soccer, baseball or boxing. Rinks are fewer and travel can be long. That is part of why clinics like the September LosVGK trip matter. A visit from an NHL team's coaches can give a youth club new drills, new energy and new contacts. Bringing those players to Las Vegas takes it one step further.

The bigger picture is the team itself. The 2026-27 season is the Golden Knights' 10th. The team won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23 and has reached the Stanley Cup Final three times. It is owned by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, set up by owner and chairman Bill Foley and his family. A decade in, the team is still finding new ways to grow the sport, both here and beyond the border.

What Happens Next

Noche de Los VGK is a yearly event, so fans can expect it again next season. The team has not announced a date for the next one yet. Keep an eye on VegasGoldenKnights.com and the team's Spanish-language site for news.

In the meantime, LosVGK gear is still on sale. The team said exclusive Los VGK merchandise, including new t-shirt and hoodie designs and pucks, is sold at The Arsenal at City National Arena in Summerlin and The Armory at T-Mobile Arena.

Watch for more cross-border youth hockey too. Two international LosVGK trips in a few years suggest the team sees real value in this work. Whether that means more clinics in Mexico, more visiting youth teams, or more international tournaments in Henderson, the program is clearly still growing. We will share news when the team announces it.

For the kids from Metepec, the next step is simple: keep playing. A trip like this one can light a fire in a young player. Some will remember it as a fun trip. A few might use it as fuel to chase the game further, whether that means junior hockey, college hockey or a national team one day. Either way, the Golden Knights have now planted roots with a youth club about 1,500 miles away, and that kind of connection tends to last.

People gathered around rows of lit candles, the kind of remembrance seen at Dia de Muertos ofrendas during Noche de Los VGK

Ryan's Take

Nights like this are why I love living and working in Las Vegas. This valley is full of families who came here from somewhere else, whether that is another state or another country. A team that celebrates where people come from, and invites kids from Mexico to skate on its home ice, makes this place feel more like a hometown. That matters when people decide where to put down roots.

I also think about the kids. Youth hockey has grown so much here. When I help families move to the valley, more and more of them ask about rinks and leagues. A night like Noche de Los VGK shows young players, here and in Mexico, that the game is for them. Some of the kids on the ice that night might be playing in Las Vegas tournaments in a few years. That is a good thing for the sport and for our community.

What You Can Do

If your child wants to try hockey, start with a learn-to-play or house league program at a local rink. The valley has options in Summerlin, Henderson, Spring Valley and other areas. Many programs loan or rent gear for beginners, so you do not have to buy everything on day one. Ask the rink what they offer before you shop.

You do not need to wait for a theme night to enjoy Dia de Muertos traditions either. Many local schools, churches, libraries and cultural centers around the valley hold their own events each fall. Check community calendars late each October for ofrenda displays, folklorico shows and family craft days. They are a good way for kids to learn about a tradition many of their neighbors share.

If you want to catch a future theme night, check the Golden Knights' promotions schedule on VegasGoldenKnights.com. The team runs several community nights each season. They often sell out, so buying early helps. Plan for game-night traffic near the Strip and arrive early if you want time on the plaza before puck drop.

And if you are thinking about moving to the valley, or moving to a different part of it, I am happy to walk you through which areas are close to rinks, schools and the things your family cares about. Every part of the valley has something different to offer, and the right fit depends on how you live.

A young hockey player in a yellow jersey skating on the ice, like the youth players at the Golden Knights Mites at Knight showcase

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. You can also email ryan@rosehomeslv.com or visit rosehomeslv.com. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921.