Wayne Gretzky is in Las Vegas this week for his annual Fantasy Camp but he took some time to speak with NHL Network about what he thinks of the Golden Knights.
And he’s excited to see the NHL’s 31st team.
“I think it’s going to be very successful,” Gretzky said.
Gretzky pointed out that in past years, expansion teams weren’t given very many options in the expansion draft and the weak product on the ice affected early adoption by fans. But he thinks the way the expansion draft is being organized this time around will make sure Vegas is competitive right away.
“Las Vegas is going to get an opportunity to pick some great players from all 30 teams,” he said. “We have to put a half-decent product there… instead of putting the worst team together and after two years saying hockey Las Vegas isn’t a hockey city.”
Gretzky also is a big fan of Golden Knights general manager George McPhee and says his experience will be a big asset for the newest team.
“George McPhee is one of the hardest working people we’ve ever had in our game,” he said. “I think it’s going to do very well.”
You can see the whole interview below on the Golden Knights Twitter account.
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