Henderson Silver Knights Open at Home Oct. 3 and 4, With Free Youth Jerseys for Kids Day

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

On Sept. 30, 2026, the Henderson Silver Knights announced their plans for opening weekend. The team will play back-to-back home games at Lee's Family Forum, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway in Henderson. Both games are against the Bakersfield Condors, a Pacific Division rival.

Saturday, Oct. 3: Opening Knight. Pregame festivities start at 3:30 p.m. Starting at 3:45 p.m., fans can meet players on the Tiltyard. There is also a raffle for signed items, themed jerseys, Silver Knights tickets and concession vouchers. You must be there to win. The first 3,000 fans get a free Silver Knights foam shield, presented by Lee's Discount Liquor. Puck drop is at 6 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4: Kids Day. This one is presented by Mountain Mike's Pizza. The first 1,500 kids ages 14 and under get a free youth jersey. Sizes run from XS to XL, and they go out first come, first served. After the game, kids are invited onto the ice to take a slapshot. The team's schedule release lists Sunday home games at 5 p.m., so plan on a 5 p.m. puck drop.

Single-game tickets start at $19. You can buy them through the team's ticket hub at hendersonsilverknights.com. Can't make it in person? Every game airs on the radio on X 107.9 and 96.3 KKLZ-HD2. Brian McCormack calls the play-by-play and Darren Eliot does color. That covers all 72 regular-season games and any Calder Cup Playoff games.

This weekend is also a first for the bench. The 2026-27 season is the team's seventh in the American Hockey League. It is the first under head coach Joel Ward. The Silver Knights are the top minor league team of the Vegas Golden Knights. That means many of the players you see in Henderson are one phone call away from T-Mobile Arena.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Start with the price. A family of four can get in the door for well under what one Strip show costs for one person. Tickets start at $19. On Sunday, a kid 14 or under can walk out with a free jersey. For a lot of families, that jersey alone is worth the trip. Youth jerseys are not cheap, and kids grow out of them fast.

Then think about the drive. Lee's Family Forum sits at The District at Green Valley Ranch, right off Green Valley Parkway. For families in Green Valley, Anthem, Seven Hills, Whitney Ranch and much of Henderson, this is a short trip. You are not fighting Strip traffic or paying resort parking. A 5 p.m. Sunday game also means the kids can be home and in bed at a normal hour on a school night.

The Kids Day perks are not a one-time thing. The team says Kids Day happens at every Sunday home game. The schedule release counted six Kids Day Sundays this season. If you miss this weekend, there will be more. But opening weekend has the free jersey, and that is the big one.

It is also a good first game for families who have never been to a hockey game. You do not need to know the rules. The arena is mid-sized, so most seats feel close to the ice. The noise, the music and the pace keep little kids busy. And if a child falls in love with the sport, the jersey from Sunday becomes the thing they wear to every game after.

For newer residents, a night like this helps a place feel like home. A lot of people who moved to Henderson in the last few years are still finding their spots. A home team with cheap tickets and a family day each Sunday is an easy way to meet neighbors. You will see the same families in the same sections by winter.

How to Actually Get the Jersey (and the Shield)

Giveaways at minor league games follow a simple rule. They go to the first fans through the doors. The team says the youth jerseys are first come, first served for the first 1,500 kids 14 and under. On Saturday, the foam shields go to the first 3,000 fans. If the giveaway is the main reason you are going, show up early. Do not plan to walk in at puck drop.

Buy your parking ahead of time. Lee's Family Forum is a cashless facility. Prepaid parking is $12 through SpotHero. If you wait to pay on game day, it is $15 plus fees. The arena accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Discover and more. There are four arena lots. Three are reached by heading south on Green Valley Parkway at Silver Knights Way. One is east of Paseo Verde Parkway. One big warning from the arena: The District will tow cars that park in its lots and walk to the arena. Use the arena lots.

Check your bags. The arena allows bags up to 9 inches by 5 inches by 2 inches. Medical bags and diaper bags are the exceptions. Outside food and drinks are not allowed. Neither are noise makers like air horns and whistles, or skateboards and scooters. If you are bringing a sign, keep it to 11 by 17 inches or smaller.

Talk to your kid about the slapshot before the game. Kids are invited to walk onto the ice after Sunday's game. Knowing that is coming keeps younger kids patient through the third period. Pack a sweatshirt, too. It is still warm outside in early October, but the arena is an ice rink.

A Quick Guide for First-Time Hockey Families

If this is your family's first hockey game, here is the short version. A game has three periods of 20 minutes each, with a break between each period. The clock stops a lot, so a game usually runs longer than 60 minutes. Plan on roughly two and a half hours from puck drop to the final horn, and a little more on Sunday if your kid is staying for the slapshot.

Pick your game based on your kids. Saturday is the bigger party. It is the season opener, there is a pregame meet-and-greet with players, a raffle and 3,000 foam shields going out. Expect a loud, full building. Sunday is built for kids. It starts an hour earlier, the jersey giveaway is only for kids 14 and under, and the day ends with kids on the ice. If you have little ones who melt down after dark, Sunday is the easy pick.

You can also do both. Seeing the same two teams back to back is a fun way for kids to learn the players. By Sunday, they will know the numbers and have a favorite. With tickets starting at $19, a two-game weekend is still cheaper than one big night out on the Strip for most families.

Make a plan for the break times. Intermissions are when the lines at the concession stands and restrooms get long. If you want food, go a few minutes before a period ends or right after play starts again. Remember, outside food and drinks are not allowed, so budget for snacks inside. And since the arena is cashless, bring a card or have your phone wallet ready.

Want to follow along after the weekend? You do not need a ticket to keep up. Every regular-season game is on the radio on X 107.9 and 96.3 KKLZ-HD2. That is an easy way to keep a new young fan hooked during the car ride to school or practice. Some families listen to the away games together and save the home games for special nights.

Last tip: make it a Green Valley evening. The arena sits at The District at Green Valley Ranch, so there are shops and restaurants a short walk from the doors. Just keep your car in the arena lots, since The District tows cars that park in its lots and walk to the game. A lot of families grab dinner nearby after the game and make a whole outing of it.

Background and History

The Silver Knights came to Henderson so the Golden Knights could keep their top prospects close to home. Coaching, training and player growth all happen in the same metro area as the NHL club. For fans, it meant Southern Nevada got a second pro hockey team to follow.

The team now plays at Lee's Family Forum, a mid-sized arena built for AHL hockey. It sits at The District at Green Valley Ranch, next to Green Valley Ranch Resort. The building also holds a sports bar, a team store called The Saddlery, and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. That makes it easy to turn a game into a full evening out.

This season opener caps a busy summer for the club. In July, the team released a 72-game schedule with 36 games at home. The Silver Knights play in the Pacific Division against Bakersfield, Abbotsford, Calgary, Coachella Valley, Colorado, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose and Tucson. They also host the Iowa Wild and the Texas Stars from the Central Division. The schedule is home-heavy at both ends. Eleven of the first 15 games are in Henderson, and so are nine of the final 11.

In August, the team released its full list of theme nights and giveaway dates. We walked through that calendar in our look at Silver Knights theme nights for 2026-27. The new opening weekend plan adds the details that were missing then: the exact times, the giveaway counts and the Kids Day perks.

What Happens Next

Opening weekend is only the start of a front-loaded home stretch. With 11 of the first 15 games in Henderson, October and November give local families plenty of chances to catch a game. Saturday home games start at 6 p.m. and Sunday home games start at 5 p.m., so it is easy to plan around.

Keep an eye on the other Kids Day Sundays. The team counted six of them on this year's schedule, each with a giveaway and post-game ice time for kids. The Central Division games are also worth a look. The Iowa Wild come to Henderson in late January, and the Texas Stars visit in March. The regular season wraps up April 10 against the Calgary Wranglers.

Giveaway details can change, and sometimes sponsors or items shift during the season. Before any game where a freebie matters to you, check the team's official site that week. That is the most reliable place for the final details.

Ryan's Take

I help families buy homes in Henderson, and one question comes up at almost every showing: what is there to do around here that isn't the Strip? A weekend like this is a real answer. A $19 ticket, a free jersey for the kids, a 5 p.m. puck drop and a short drive home. That is the kind of thing that makes a suburb feel like a town.

Buyers who move here from out of state tend to compare Henderson with the suburb they left, not with the Strip. They want to know if their kids will have things to do on a Sunday. When I can point to a pro hockey team playing 36 home games in their own city, with a family day every Sunday, it helps them picture their life here. Places like Lee's Family Forum never show up on a comp sheet. But they show up in why people pick Green Valley, Seven Hills or Anthem over somewhere else. They also help explain why this side of the valley keeps drawing families year after year.

What You Can Do

Buy tickets now if you want to go. The games are this Saturday and Sunday, and the free jerseys are limited to the first 1,500 kids. Go to the team's ticket hub at hendersonsilverknights.com, pick your game, and buy prepaid parking on SpotHero while you are at it. It saves you a few dollars and a hassle at the gate.

Plan your arrival. If you are going Saturday, pregame starts at 3:30 p.m. and the player meet-and-greet starts at 3:45 p.m. If you are going Sunday for the jersey, get there well before the 5 p.m. puck drop. Pack a small bag that fits the 9 by 5 by 2 inch rule, leave the snacks at home, and bring a warm layer for the kids.

Share this with the other parents on your street, your kid's school group or your youth sports team. Getting a few families to go together makes it more fun, and the kids will have friends to shoot slapshots with after the game. And if you cannot make it this weekend, bookmark the schedule. There are more Kids Day Sundays ahead.

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