The Vegas Golden Knights just made NHL history in the most unusual way – by staying out of trouble.
They became the first team ever to get penalized less than 200 times in an 82-game season, finishing with just 197 penalties.
That’s only 2.4 penalties per game, which is pretty remarkable in a league where physical play is part of the DNA.
Even in a season where penalties were down across the NHL, Vegas’s discipline stands out. The next-best team, the New York Islanders, had 208 penalties in 81 games. After that, it jumps up to 228 for the next closest team.
To put this in perspective: The Florida Panthers spent way more time in the penalty box, racking up 340 penalties this season.
But here’s the interesting part – Vegas isn’t getting any special treatment from the refs. They’re actually one of the worst teams at drawing penalties, with opponents only getting called for 219 infractions against them.
Their games have been surprisingly clean affairs, with few power plays for either side.
That might be a smart strategy for Vegas. While they’ve got the second-best power play in the league, their penalty killing isn’t great – ranking 26th out of 32 teams.
As they head into the playoffs, staying out of the box could be their secret weapon. After all, you can’t score if you’re sitting in the penalty box.
It’s a fascinating approach in today’s NHL, where most teams are still trying to find the right balance between aggressive play and staying disciplined.
The Golden Knights have clearly figured something out. Now we’ll see if this historically clean style of play can help them defend their Stanley Cup title in the playoffs.
