Hockey is famous for its fights. But those drop-the-gloves skirmishes break out during games.

In Las Vegas, the battles start even before the puck drops. Those faceoffs are staged amid rings of fire projected on the ice, swirling spotlights and a narrator bellowing “Raise those torches! And help us defend our Fortress!”

The home team’s Knight Line drum squad slams a military-style beat as a knight in golden armor skates through a towering helmet. The hometown hero is met by a dark knight, waving the visiting team’s flag and laughing, “Ha-ha-ha-ha! Pathetic!” And the fight is on.

Armed with a shield and sword, the Golden Knight (spoiler alert) quickly dispatches the menacing interloper. He is undefeated in more than 400 fights, combining regular season and playoff games since 2017.

This is how Las Vegas’ NHL team, entering its 10th season, is announced to the home crowd at T-Mobile Arena. In that nearly decadelong run, the Golden Knights have become the “Greatest Show on Ice,” as they are known in these parts.

“They are at the top of the list of event presentation, not only in the NHL, but for all sports,” NHL Group Vice President of Game Presentation/Entertainment John Bochiaro says. “They’ve done an amazing job of drawing attention to game presentation in this industry.”

And there’s certain to be more attention than ever when the team hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 29, opening its 10th season at T-Mobile Arena.

It takes more than 100 cast and crew to create the spectacle, ranging from performers to control-room staff and camera operators. For example, the Golden Knights are the only franchise in any major sports league with showgirls. They are aptly known as the Vegas Golden Belles, many of them former “Jubilee” and “Folies” performers.

The Vegas Vivas, VGK’s official dance and cheer team, often dance behind the opposing team’s bench during warmups. VGK mascot Chance the Gila Monster sometimes joins the routine.

The team’s pregame entertainment spectacle features a dramatic duel with a knight in golden armor and elaborate on-ice projections. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

“It’s something we came up with a long time ago, just a fun way distract the other team,” says Andrew Abrams, the team’s vice president and executive producer, entertainment and production. “You know, we want to show our home-ice advantage as they warm up.”

Between the second and third periods of the game, fans are immersed in the “Knight Club” — a thunderous, strobe-enhanced nightclub-esque environment. The high-energy concept regularly features DJ Joe Green and occasional resident headliners (including Kaskade and Diplo), and has been replicated by rival teams.

“It’s Las Vegas, and that’s something that is so true to the city that we love doing, because it’s so authentic,” Abrams says. “I would say that it would be very hard for that to ever go away. It’s actually one of my personal favorites.”

The Golden Knights knew their show needed to be different, and elevated, from the moment the franchise was announced.

“The directive from (team owner) Bill Foley was, because it’s Vegas and because we were going to be playing at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip, we need to be a show for the fans,” Abrams says. “Don’t worry about being an entertainment department for a hockey team. Worry about being a show on the Strip.”

Among the team’s distinctive production elements:

The Knight Line drums up excitement at T-Mobile Arena, sometimes even flying above the ice on wires. (Vegas Golden Knights)

■ The preshow battle. Lee Orchard, aka DJ Britlee in Las Vegas, has portrayed the Golden Knight character in every home game. The villain rotates among the Knights Guard ice crew.

■ The cranking of the siren. The tradition dates decades in pro sports, but the Golden Knights have added nobility and famous figures to the moment. Hundreds of celebs, dignitaries and noteworthy figures have spun the pregame and intermission rally siren, including performers Usher, Wayne Newton, Lil Jon, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, T-Pain and the Backstreet Boys. Comedian Jo Koy and actor Mark Wahlberg have had the honor, as has Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, and current Raiders QBs Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza spun the prop in the NHL playoffs.

■ The three-member announcing team of hype man Mark Shunock, Vegas singer Katie Marie Jones and longtime local radio personality and announcer Robert “Bojo” Ackah. Shunock, a former “Rock of Ages” cast member, cold-called the Golden Knights’ front office the morning after Foley announced the inaugural ticket drive and asked to join the effort. Jones, a Vegas native, has worked as a ring announcer in WOW — Women of Wrestling — and as a singer in local lounges and clubs, and Bojo has fired up crowds at multiple sports events across the valley.

In 2024, the team surprised fans by unveiling a fire-breathing dragon with a 34-foot wingspan, massive claws and glowing red eyes peering over the arena. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

■ The Knights Guard ice crew — a uniformed, choreographed, coed collective that sweeps the ice between periods. A lifelong Rangers fan once watched this team in amazement, commenting later, “I couldn’t believe it. At the Garden, we get a bunch of guys in track suits.”

■ Performers from Strip productions. Members of Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group and Jabbawockeez have enlivened T-Mobile Arena. As Abrams says, “We didn’t know what our fanbase was going to be. All we knew is, whoever comes in our building, we can give them the best show possible, and you know we get inspiration from the Cirque du Soleils of the world, the world-class shows on the Strip, and that was going to be our vibe.”

Details on what’s in store for fans this season are as tightly guarded as the fortress itself, but a few hints were dropped.

“We’ll be very big on nostalgia,” Abrams says. “If you were a day one season ticket member, you’ll get the feeling you felt 10 seasons ago. We want to look at some of the old, classic storytelling. Some music or videos that we might have used in the past and moved on from.”

Honoring players from the past, the original Golden Misfits from the first season, is also on the table. Or, ice, in this case.

“The working title (of the entertainment program) is VGK Classic, which is funny because it’s only 10 seasons,” Abrams says.

Las Vegas fans, and all of the NHL, will be watching. ◆