Golden Knights’ Zach Whitecloud Gives Motivational Quote After Win

Zach Whitecloud is going to be a captain in the NHL someday. Perhaps, for the Vegas Golden Knights as the 26-year-old has six years left on his current contract. When asked about the playoff-like atmosphere that was in Thursday night's game against the Calgary Flames, Whitecloud 

The Golden Knights rallied from trailing 3-1 to come back and defeat the Flames 4-3 in overtime with Alex Pietrangelo scoring the winner. 

Whitecloud was asked about the team's upcoming schedule and how the team is slated to play tough opponents. He responded with an answer for the ages postgame with a mini-motivational speech in the VGK locker room.

"You want to be playing the best of the best and want to bring your best game every single night. Because you know that every single other team that is pushing for the playoffs and trying to gear up is also trying to make sure everyone is dialed in, they're doing the exact same thing. So we take care of what we're doing and making sure that we've got our stuff dialed in, making sure we're doing the right things, at practice and taking care of it and executing it in games… 

"I think with mature teams like ours, there's no impatience, right? So it's staying patient sticking to your game not getting away from that and not opening up the game and trying to get the first two goals back on the first shift. That is what good teams and teams that know what their structures is and how play to their strengths do. I think that was a good example tonight where we all stuck together, stayed patient, didn't cheat the game, and didn't cheat our systems…"

"Not every time you're gonna get rewarded for that. Those ones are gonna sting. And those happen in hockey. But tonight you do get rewarded for it. And I think it's good for us to feel that and know how that feels moving forward. Because sometimes you're going to be on the opposite end of those and those suck and then you come to the rink the next day and it's still with you because it's a playoff game. You try not to take that stuff home with you… but when hockey gets this intense and it means so much to every single guy in this room. That stuff matters…"

"That feeling tonight is hard to describe, winning a game like that. You know I hugged Alec Martinez because that felt like a playoff game, and you can't mimic how that feels, and you never forget it. So it's awesome," said Whitecloud.

The Golden Knights will practice tomorrow at 11:30 p.m. and play the Dallas Stars on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. from inside T-Mobile Arena.