BRANDON, Man. — Becoming the first player of an NHL franchise doesn’t happen every day. When Reid Duke joined the Las Vegas Golden Knights last week, he realized the historical significance. So the 21-year-old made sure his biggest fan was there to witness it.
“I had my mom in town for the signing,” Duke said. “Something like that was important to share with her.”
The Brandon Wheat Kings forward was originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2014. The team though never offered Duke a deal, making him a free agent.
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“I never faced anything like that,” Duke said. “It was a pretty devastating time for me to deal with.”
Helping to comfort him was his coach, who now happens to be building the NHL’s newest team.
“I’m proud of him for getting his career to this point,” Golden Knights assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon said.
“When they came to me to get my thoughts, I had no hesitation to endorse Reid.”
Hopefully launching a bright future under the Vegas lights.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Duke said. “It’s everything that I could have envisioned. I’m sure there’s more great things to come.”
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