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Go shopping at Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road, at the intersection with Koval Lane east of the Strip.

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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Is it really year 8?

The Vegas Golden Knights don’t seem so young and cheerful anymore.

After a first season that saw the Golden Knights soar to the National Hockey League finals against Washington in 2018, owner Bill Foley’s prediction came true: in 2023, the club would win the Stanley Cup within six years.

After a title season that lasted until early June, the Knights were defeated in the first round of last year’s playoffs by Dallas and former VGK coach Pete DeBoer.

The Vegas franchise is the centerpiece of Foley’s vast business empire, which stretches from wineries and lodges on the U.S. West Coast to a Premier League soccer team in England and a growing football club in New Zealand.

It’s the home opener of VGK’s preseason, the first season in Vegas without popular goal scorer Jonathan Marchessault, who plays for the Nashville Predators. Former VGK player Willam Carrier, another original Misfit, is on the Carolina Hurricanes’ roster. The original Misfits still with the club are Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore and William Karlsson.

The Vegas franchise is also returning from a marketing trip to Mexico City to expand the Golden Knights campaign to its Latin American audience, building on the “LosVGK” program to reach Spanish-speaking fans who identify as Hispanic-Latino.

The team said 800 Mexicans attended a Golden Knights fan fest event in Mexico City

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Bruce is selling beer at the main location again, another sign that the VGK are back.

The Knights hand out sets of freebie promotions to fans in the preseason, such as tokens and player busts. This year, it’s a pinset featuring defenseman Noah Hanifan tonight.

Hanifin even scored a goal tonight against the Los Angeles Kings.

Hanifan, who was acquired from Calgary last season, was the figurehead tonight.

The Knights announced Wednesday night that there were 17,488 spectators in attendance.

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