The Vegas Golden Knights entered the National Hockey League as its 31st franchise, unveiling their name, primary logo, secondary marks and official colors on November 22, 2016, five months to the day after Las Vegas was awarded an expansion team.[1] The identity was developed by Adidas over the course of five months in collaboration with team owner Bill Foley and the NHL.[2]
Design and History
The primary logo is a front-facing knight’s helmet with a conspicuous “V” formed in its center, representing Las Vegas.[1] The helmet is placed on a black and gold shield.[2] Foley, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said he considered naming the team the Black Knights in honor of his Army roots before settling on Golden Knights.[3]
The team’s secondary logo features two crossed swords that create the star from the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.[1] A wordmark logo was also unveiled alongside the primary and secondary marks.[2]
Adidas began working on the logo in July 2016, shortly after the franchise was awarded, and the final versions of the logo and jerseys were not settled until about two and a half weeks before the public unveiling.[4] Jeff Eagles, design director of Adidas’ sports licensed division, said the design team looked for colors that spoke to Las Vegas and would give the team a unique color profile within the League.[5]
In July 2026, the Golden Knights unveiled a commemorative 10th season logo for the 2026-27 campaign. The anniversary mark features the team’s primary crest centered inside a large Roman numeral “X” with a sword running through the middle, and a banner underneath containing the numbers 17 and 27, referencing the team’s first season in 2017 and its 10th anniversary in 2027.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The team’s official colors are steel grey, gold, red and black, each with a documented meaning tied to the Las Vegas community. Steel grey represents strength and durability; gold references Nevada’s status as the largest producer of gold in the United States; red is taken from the Las Vegas skyline, desert and Red Rock canyons; and black represents power and intensity.[1]
Foley explained the knight theme at the unveiling ceremony: “Our logo and our name is really going to exhibit the highest element of the warrior class, the knight. The knight protects the unprotected. The knight defends the realm. The knight never gives up, never gives in, always advances, never retreats.”[3]
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