Hockey will now be heating up in Henderson, NV, just 16 miles southeast of Las Vegas, as the AHL unveiled their newest team on Thursday night, the Henderson Silver Knights, via a broadcast put on by owner Bill Foley.
The Silver Knights will replace the San Antonio Rampage, who were the St. Louis Blues' affiliate last year. Since the Golden Knights inception, the Chicago Wolves had served as the team's affiliate since 2017.
The new club will get a brand new 6,000 seat arena, the Henderson Events Center, which won't be ready until 2022-23, meaning they'll play at Orleans Arena for at least two years.
The City of Henderson today approved a project agreement with SK Arena, LLC (SK Arena), an affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, to advance the design and construction of an indoor event venue to replace the Henderson Pavilion.
The reimagination of the Henderson Pavilion into a year-round venue establishes a home for Henderson’s American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Henderson Symphony Orchestra that has been a cultural cornerstone of the community for 30 years, and dozens of educational, cultural, and sporting events including graduations, festivals, concerts and more.
Project costs of $80 million (with up to an additional $4 million for contingencies) will be shared equally by the City of Henderson and SK Arena through a public-private partnership. The City will continue to own the land and the building, while SK Arena will lease the facility for $150,000 per year for the 20-year duration of the agreement with the option for two five-year extensions. SK Arena will operate and maintain the facility and oversee its programming, bringing a variety of first-class sporting, musical and cultural events to the community, including 34 AHL hockey games for Henderson’s hometown team.
