Tomáš Hertl knows very well what the atmosphere looks like during a playoff match in the T-Mobile Arena, where the Golden Knights play their home games. As a member of San Jose, he completed two series against Vegas in 2018 and 2019. This time, however, he will start as a home hockey player for the first time, whom the crowd will cheer for.
The Vegas Golden Knights know how to work the crowd very well. The pregame programs at the beginning of the playoff series are among the true masterpieces of the organization from the city of lights, vice and gambling. Excited spectators then create an atmosphere in front of which it is a joy to play.
Tomáš Hertl, who played in the play-offs in Vegas in 2018 and 2019, knows this very well. In 2019, he did not please the home fans too much when, in the sixth game of the first round series, he managed to net a weak goal in the second overtime and decided the victory Sharks 2:1. San Jose eventually took the series to the winning end, and Hertl’s name was not exactly flattering in Las Vegas.
Five years later, on the other hand, the 30-year-old Czech forward can become a crowd favorite. This time he will enjoy the atmosphere as a home hockey player. “When you score a goal and the crowd goes wild, it’s really loud here. It will be fun to play on the good side this time,” the official NHL website quotes an excited Hertl.
Hertl last played for the Stanley Cup in 2019, when San Jose advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Since then, he has been waiting for his next playoff appearance and didn’t get to play with the Sharks, and he can’t count on any significant improvement in the following years either. That made things a little easier for him when deciding whether to waive his no-move clause and proceed with a trade to Vegas.
The exchange took place in March, when Hertl was on the sidelines after knee surgery. He returned to the ice late in the regular season and went 2-2 in six games before joining his new teammates in the first-round series against Dallas. Thanks to his goal, the Knights lead 2-0 over the Stars after two away games.
“Hopefully I can score some goals at home too,” he gushed after training on Friday, during which he spent plenty of time with captain Mark Stone. The two kept grinning and laughing the entire round.
This only proves how the Czech forward settled into the new team almost immediately and was well received by the team. This is confirmed by Hertl himself, who spent his entire career in San Jose, but feels at home in Las Vegas.
“I played only eight games for this team. But at the same time, I feel like I’ve been here for half a season because I’m joking with the guys and just having fun. It’s easy to have fun when you’re up 2-0 in a playoff series, but I feel like I’ve been here a lot longer than I actually have,” added a happy Hertl.
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