‘Genius Marketing’ by Golden Knights Paying Early Dividends 

The Vegas Golden Knights are one game into their quest for the Stanley Cup, and already, they’re dominating the news cycles. They hosted the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, and the game quickly became heated. Early in the third period, Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague caught Wild forward Ryan Hartman with a crosscheck that went uncalled.

Although alternative camera angles revealed the crosscheck as the boiling point of a nasty board battle, it has sparked controversy online. Take a look: Hartman caught Hague with a few crosschecks while battling for the puck, and Hague retaliated in kind. 

The Golden Knights went on to take Game 1 by a score of 4-2.

There are a few reasons as to why this wasn’t called. First, officiating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is always tighter than during the regular season. Officials will always err on the side of letting the players play. The nearby referee– Furman South– could have just called Hague’s retaliatory crosscheck but likely abstained because the two penalties offset.

Ryan Hartman’s reputation could also play a factor in the non-call; Hartman has earned a reputation for being a player who routinely crosses the line. It’s highly unlikely that he’d get the benefit of the doubt in those sort of 50/50 calls.

Elliotte Friedman proposed another theory on Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast. He wonders if the crosscheck went uncalled because the Golden Knights earned a reputation of their own.

Friedman’s Theory

“[Sunday’s game between the Golden Knights and the Wild] was a mean game. It was a nasty game,” said Elliotte Friedman. “Another thing, on a night where there was a lot of discussion about crosschecks, there was one in this game that went uncalled to Nic Hague. 

“Vegas has done an excellent job of highlighting how they don’t take penalties,” Friedman pointed out. “For the last three years, [they’ve been the] least penalized team in the league. This year, they put it up on their socials that they set a record for the fewest penalties taken. Sometimes, you get a reputation for being a dirty team; sometimes, you get a reputation for being a penalized team. Sometimes, you get a reputation for being a team that dives or players who dive… Does Vegas get the benefit of the doubt because they’re clean? 

“I’m curious about that,” added Friedman. “Because you know, in between these series, teams lobby. They’re going to go to Vegas between Games 1 and 2; they’re going to say, ‘Hey, anything you guys want to talk about?’ They’re going to go to Minnesota between Games 1 and 2 and they’re going to say, ‘Anything you guys want to talk about?’ And you know Minnesota’s going to talk about– how on does that crosscheck not get called?

“I just think it might be genius marketing by the Golden Knights,” finished Friedman. “Just, like, ‘hey– we don’t take penalties! We’re putting up on our socials how we’re record-setting for not taking penalties!’ And I just wonder if it gets into people’s heads, and they get the benefit of the doubt, or other teams don’t get it, and you know what? They’ve earned it. And now, they’re making sure everybody knows it.”