The Henderson Silver Knights are a professional ice hockey team hailing from Henderson, Nevada. The Silver Knights began to play in the 2020-21 American Hockey League season and is affiliated with the nearby Vegas Golden Knights. The Silver Knights got their start playing home games at the Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada, but have since moved over to the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson.
The Silver Knights might be a relatively new team, but the team's ownership actually dates back more than five decades. The franchise first began in 1971 as the Tidewater/Virginia Wings in Norfolk, Virginia, as an affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. In 1975, they moved to Glen Falls, New York, where they played as the Adirondack Red Wings. That lasted until 1999 when the Red Wings briefly suspended operations of the team.
In 2002, the team was purchased by the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and was resurrected as the San Antonio Rampage. They'd remain in San Antonio for the next 18 years. In February 2020, the Vegas Golden Knights announced the purchase of the Rampage. A few months later, the Vegas Golden Knights announced that the team would henceforth be known as the Henderson Silver Knights, named for Nevada's nickname "The Silver State." While Emanuel Viveiros was initially announced as the team's head coach, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the Silver Knights' inaugural season and Patrick Brown was ultimately named first captain one day before their inaugural game of the 2020-21 AHL season.
In August 2021, Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced that Tim Speltz had joined the organization's hockey operations team, serving as the general manager of the Henderson Silver Knights.
During the Silver Knights' first season, they earned the top seed in the Pacific Division and went on to play for the John D. Chick Trophy and division title. In the semifinals, the Silver Knights beat the San Jose Barracuda but ultimately lost the division championship to Bakersfield Condors in three games.
For the 2021-22 season, the Silver Knights moved to their new, permanent home at the recently opened Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.
