Years from now, when the next generation of hockey fans in Southern Nevada learn about the history of the Golden Knights, Deryk Engelland’s name will occupy an honored place.
Parents might explain what happened on Oct. 1, 2017, to their kids, how 58 people lost their lives and hundreds more were wounded by a gunman perched in a hotel room just a couple of blocks from T-Mobile Arena.
Then they’ll tell the story of Oct. 10, the night of the Knights’ first home game. And how Engelland quickly established himself as one of the faces of the franchise with his stirring speech promising that the team would do all it could to help the city heal.