Founded ahead of the 2017–18 season as an expansion team, they play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL).
[11] After suffering a first-round exit against the San Jose Sharks in 2019,[12] the Golden Knights returned to the Western Conference Finals in the COVID-19 pandemic-affected 2020 playoffs, falling in five games to the Dallas Stars.
[13] During the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, the Golden Knights were temporarily placed in the single-season West Division;[14] after finishing second behind the Colorado Avalanche,[15] the Golden Knights again fell one round short of the Stanley Cup Finals, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in six games in a re-aligned Stanley Cup Semifinals.
[16] Despite entering the following 2021–22 season as Stanley Cup favorites,[17][18] the Golden Knights suffered a rash of injuries and poor play, eventually missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
[21] The Golden Knights' championship defense in 2023–24 began with the longest season-opening winning streak of any defending champion in NHL history, as they began the season 7–0–0;[22] however, the team struggled later in the season,[23] qualifying for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs as a wild card and losing to the Dallas Stars in the first round in seven games.