NHL Team Name Origins: Western Conference

May 11, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; General view of the T-Mobile Arena adjacent to the Las Vegas strip. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; General view of the T-Mobile Arena adjacent to the Las Vegas strip. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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NHL Team Name Origins: General view of the T-Mobile Arena adjacent to the Las Vegas strip. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s All In The Name

The Vegas Golden Knights have finally announced their name as the newest NHL franchise. Has Vegas’ new team name sparked your curiosity regarding the origins of other team names?

The name ‘Golden Knights’ was in homage to team owner Bill Foley’s military history. Foley has stated that knights are the symbol of ‘warrior class’ and that knights never give up and always stick together.

The term ‘Knights’ was a staple in Vegas’ nickname for Foley, who used this to brand Vegas with an original team name: the Vegas Golden Knights.

Here, we’ll go over the origin story the NHL team names in the Western Conference. Every fan-vote and every silly story that impacted a team name will be covered here.

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NHL Team Name Origins: Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson (36) and the Ducks celebrate the 4-2 victory against the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

From The Big Screen To The Ice Rink

The Anaheim Ducks have the most famous name of all NHL team names. The Ducks joined the NHL in 1993 with a slightly different name, the Mighty Ducks.

The Mighty Ducks comes from the 1992 Disney movie of the same name. The movie, about a lawyer who gets himself into trouble and has to coach a kids hockey team, was such a hit that it made way for a real team.

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks became the Anaheim Ducks in 2005 after Disney sold the team. Regardless of the slight name change, Anaheim made a big impression with the famous namesake.