We won’t have to wait until the NHL expansion draft to see name-brand players tied to the Vegas Golden Knights franchise.
New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski and free agent slugger Jose Bautista are just two familiar minority owners of the 31st NHL franchise revealed via Twitter by ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell.
Model/actress Carol Alt, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Prince Amukamara, and former NHL stars Mark Recchi and Alexei Yashin have also invested in the club, which begins play in 2017-18.
Recchi, 48, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion who played 22 years in the NHL before winning a fourth ring in 2016 as the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ player development coach.
Yashin, the second-overall pick of the 1992 draft, played 12 NHL seasons for the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders, serving as captain for both.
Amukamara, 27, was a member of the New York Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI championship team as a rookie.
Alt, 55, reached supermodel status in the 1980s when her appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Edition led to more than 500 magazine appearances.
The Golden Knights’ majority owner, Bill Foley, unveiled the team’s nickname and logo with much fanfare during a ceremony Tuesday night.
