LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Vegas Golden Knights are helping wipe out debt for veterans in the Las Vegas area, joining the NHL and the Buffalo Sabres in a $1.5 million effort timed to Veterans Day. About $500,000 of the total is earmarked for Las Vegas-area veterans and their families.
The league says the relief will reach more than 600 veterans and families across the United States. About $400,000 will go to veterans in Western New York, home of the Sabres. The money is flowing through the NHL’s partnership with ForgiveCo, part of a military program called Operation Line Shift.
Recipients will be honored Wednesday night, when Utah visits T-Mobile Arena for Las Vegas’ yearly salute to the military. The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. Pacific. The game is part of the league’s Veterans Appreciation Night broadcast, and a veteran whose medical bills from a relative’s hospital stay were cleared is scheduled to attend with family.
Defenseman Noah Hanifin, who has family members who served in the military, was expected to appear in the broadcast. He is currently sidelined and reportedly week-to-week after an injury during Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Buffalo.
All 32 NHL clubs are honoring service members and veterans this season. Through Operation Line Shift, the NHL and its clubs have now cleared $3.75 million owed by over 2,100 veterans and their families. ForgiveCo acquires bundles of debt at a steep discount and then removes the collection entries from recipients’ credit files. The league also continues to donate to groups that use sports to support service members and help children in military families stay active.
