‘Healing touch’: Oct. 1 survivor won tickets, saw Knights win Cup

Ariana Plummer understands how much the Golden Knights mean to to the Las Vegas community.

As a survivor of the Oct. 1, 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival, Plummer was able to see the way the Knights gave the city something to rally behind during their darkest time.

That was on display more than ever last Tuesday during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, which Plummer was able to attend with her father, Robert Plummer, who was a police captain during 1 October.

Ariana said it was amazing to see the team embrace the city in the way they did, including an emotional tribute to the shooting victims at the team’s first-ever home game, just nine days after the shooting.

“It’s so important to remember that they aren’t just a hockey team,” Ariana Plummer said. “They helped us through our toughest time. A piece of the city healed after the win, so I’m glad we could experience it.”

Four pairs of fans were able to attend the game, thanks to a ticket giveaway from local attorney Adam Kutner.

“It was like a dream come true,” Regina Daniel said.

‘A following like no other’

Ariana and her father recognize the Knights’ importance to the community.

“With how the Knights started and especially after Route 91, it was incredibly special to be there, and being with my dad made it even more special,” she said.

“I was a police officer during that time,” Robert Plummer said. “So watching the team become what it is now and how they’ve helped the city, means a lot to me. The Knights have a following like no other. Las Vegas residents are hockey fans now, even if they are just casual fans, there’s still love for the team.”

The fans given a chance to attend what one described as the “biggest game in franchise history” included the Plummers, Daniel and her son Reggie Daniel, Metro officer Patrick Mendez and his wife Jocelyn Mendez, healthcare worker Deb Workman and her husband Kevin Workman.

They said the environment inside the T-Mobile Arena was like nothing they had ever seen before.

“The amount of fandom going on at the game was off the charts,” Jocelyn Mendez said. “Throughout the entire game fans were yelling and screaming non-stop. The ‘We want the cup’ chant brought tears to my eyes.”

As a member of the healthcare community, Deb Workman said it was the “final healing that needed to happen.”

“This game put that healing touch to the community that we needed these last six years,” she said.

Contact Kiara Adams at kadams@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-0399. Follow @kiadams101 on Twitter.