Professional hockey team making stop in Whitefish

The Vegas Golden Knights hockey team is taking a preseason road trip and making a stop in Whitefish.

The NHL's newest franchise will hold a hockey clinic at Stumptown Ice Den on Wednesday, Aug. 16 with forward Alex Tuch and defenseman Jake Bischoff. Also attending the event will be Bill Foley, who is a majority owner of Whitefish Mountain and serves as the Golden Knights chairman, along with the team's senior vice president Murray Craven, Whitefish resident and former NHL player.

The event takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. and is open to fans.

The team will begin is preseason tour with a stop in Coeur d'Alene, followed by three stops in Montana — Whitefish, Deer Lodge and Bozeman, before finishing the trip in Salt Lake City,

Players, coaches and team executives are expected to make appearances, participate in a series of hockey clinics, open skate and meet with fans during the events. The trip is designed to increase viewership in all of the states in its broadcasting area.

“Las Vegas has always been a premier travel destination and our city is now emerging as a premier sports destination as well,” said Vegas Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz in a press release.

“Once the season begins, our players will be very active in the Las Vegas area and participate in numerous community appearances and charitable events in our market,” Bubolz said. “This is an opportunity for our players to visit other cities that we may not be able to reach during the season. We look forward to having hockey fans of all ages get the chance to meet some of these players, coaches and executives and enjoy our great game.”

The two players leading the clinic in Whitefish have limited playing time in the NHL. Tuch is a rookie who came to Vegas from Minnesota and played in six games for the Wild last season. Bischoff was drafted by the New York Islanders in 2012, but has yet to play in the NHL.

The Vegas Golden Knights are owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment LLC. The Vegas Golden Knights were established by founding partners Bill Foley and his family, and the Maloof family.

For more information, on the Golden Knights visit vegasgoldenknights.com.