It may be more than 100 degrees outside, but summer is officially over for the Golden Knights.
Much of the roster gathered on the ice Tuesday at City National Arena for an optional practice without coaches ahead of Thursday’s opening of rookie camp and next week’s start of training camp.
Marc Andre-Fleury and Reilly Smith were part of a group of 23 players from throughout the organization participating in drills and a scrimmage as they tried to kick the rust off after an offseason shortened by a historic run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The disappointment of the loss to the Washington Capitals hasn’t gone away and may be a motivating factor in driving such a strong turnout.