Category Archives: Las Vegas

The largest single donor to Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada (wish.org/snv), Linda Richardson is Make-A-Wish Americas 2021 National Philanthropist of the Year, an honor bestowed on one member from its 59 chapters. Here, the 26-year volunteer shares how giving back has transformed her life.

What does being Philanthropist of the Year mean to you? I am truly honored to be recognized by Make-A-Wish and to play even a small role in its mission to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Its not about me, its all about the children they serve, and I feel blessed to get to positively impact these childrens lives by helping to make wishes come true.

Why is Make-A-Wishs mission close to your heart? Ive been involved with many different organizations over the years, and they are all amazing, but my work with Make-A-Wish is extraordinarily special. Watching children who are struggling with critical illnesses get to experience their heartfelt wish is incredibly moving and rewarding. If youve never experienced wish granting personally, I would encourage everyone to find a way to do so. A wish doesnt just leave a lasting impact on the child receiving it; it leaves a lasting impact on those who have the honor of granting it.

Which philanthropic accomplishment has meant the most to you? It probably wont come as a surprise that my all-time favorite Make-A-Wish moment was the very first wish I granted with my daughter, Melissa. That single experience lit a fire in us that literally transformed our lives. It led to 20 years of working together to not only grant wishes for children when they need it most, but to create the Fashion Luncheon event, allowing us to increase our impact for Wish kids in Southern Nevada. Melissa and I have always been close, and volunteering for Make-A-Wish brought us even closer.

What is your motto in life? My motto in life is just to have a positive mindset. I have long been guided by the mantra Where much is given, much is expected, and I have tried to teach that to my children through example.

Dream job? I was lucky enough to have my dream job: being a mother and a grandmother. Thats all I ever wanted to do.

Photography by: PHOTO BY MONA SHIELD PAYNE

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Las Vegas' Linda Richardson Linda Richardson is Make-A-Wish America's 2021 National Philanthropist of the Year - Vegas Magazine

The reigning champion in the fastest skater competition, Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, isn't here to defend his title, and Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid has a chance to walk away with a crowning achievement if he can cross that finish line before the others.

McDavid can become the competition's first four-time champion. He joined Mike Gartner as the only three-time winners during his dominating streak from 2017-2019. Gartner won in 1990, 1993, and 1996.

So who is likely to stand in his way? He's got a pretty good idea.

"There's lots of good skaters in the group. (Dylan) Larkin's won it before so I'd definitely say Larkin."

Not only did the Red Wings forward win before, his winning time in 2016 (13.172) was faster than each of McDavid's (13.310 in 2016, 13.454 in 2018, and 13.378 in 2019).

Golden Knights forward Mark Stone, a self-proclaimed fan of the hardest shot and fastest skater competitions as a spectator, echoed McDavid's thoughts.

"I haven't quite looked it at yet, but I think I'm a Larkin guy," Stone said. "If was a putting money on it, I'd bet Larkin."

But fellow fastest skater competitor Cale Makar predicted it's going to come down to a narrow margin.

"Hopefully I'm good competition for the other guys," Makar said. "There's some pretty fast guys, so it'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds but I'm just looking to go out there and have fun and see where it takes me.

"(McDavid's) a pretty fast guy. We obviously haven't played him much in the past few years but every single one of those guys, you put them in a straight line race or a race around the nets, it's going to be pretty close. Honestly, I'll think it'll come down to very minimal seconds."

Chris Kreider, Adrian Kempe, Kyle Connor, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Jordan Kyrou round out the field.

(Photo by Del Mecum / Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

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NHL skills competition 2022: Live updates, highlights, how to watch All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas - The Athletic

Anticipation hangs in the air no, wait, thats our breath that were seeing suspended before us. Its cold, but things are heating up.

Its like waiting for fireworks, a bundled-up blonde woman observes in front of Area15 on Wednesday evening, noting the Fourth of July-like sense of expectancy.

Those fireworks come soon enough, sparks-spewing pyrotechnics countering the wind-driven night chill. And with that, its go time.

Goggles-sporting guides lead the way. The illuminated obelisk beckons, cradled in a steel tower criss-crossed with illuminated spires. Liftoff is ready for lift off.

Its Wednesday night, and Area15s new open-air balloon ride is getting its official launch.

Think of it as a steampunk Around the World in 80 Days, with craft cocktails and 360-degree panoramic views of the Strip in place of transcontinental flight.

At the base of the attraction is a themed bar made to look like a lost desert hang for wayward aviators.

Theres antiquities here: A typewriter rests on one table; encyclopedias are strewn about, a nod to those long-lost days of manual research, when learning the genus of an ostrich wasnt as simple as hitting the Google button on the internet machine.

The point?

To make the past feel indivisible from the present.

It is meant to evoke the last place some aeronauts and astronauts drank and dreamed of building a tower, explains Michael Beneville, Area15s chief creative officer, addressing the crowd as Liftoff welcomes its first riders. And they did.

Beverage in hand, its time to board.

Building a mystery

He remembers standing in this space when thats all it was: open space.

Michael Beneville recalls surveying the then-barren parcel of land that would eventually become Area15 with Winston Fisher, CEO for Area15, years back.

Winston and I stood in this parking lot with our two respective teams, it was an empty lot that stretches from the highway to Palace Station, and we thought, What would we put here? says Beneville, cald in a disco-ball shiny silver suit. This was born out of its proximity to the Strip, which is close, but thats the other side of the moon in terms of the natural traffic flow of a visitor.

What would make them go across the highway? he continues. And we thought the only thing that would actually do that would be a geunine curiosity about, What the hell is that?

Area15 was built on these kind of open-ended questions.

Since opening in September 2020, the complex has featured a number of attractions, like Meow Wolfs immersive art experience Omega Mart and the winding maze of booze that is Lost Spirits, that pointedly leave something to the imagination, that keep visitors guessing about what it is theyre taking in, exactly and in doing so, ideally keeps them coming back.

Its worked so far.

Not only does curiosity kill cats, it also lines coffers: In its first full year of operation, Area15 drew nearly two million visitors, with the smash success of Omega Mart leading the way, drawing over 800,000 guests alone.

Liftoff is the latest addition to Area15s arsenal of the far-out.

While certainly packing more straight-forward kicks than puzzle-piecing together the 60-plus experiences that comprise Omega Mart into a coherent whole what isnt? the core idea is the same, that when youre up there in the sky looking this way and that way, youre forming your own narrative of what it is youre choosing to see.

I think its ironic, Beneville notes, that a lot of places that are about imagination dont leave much to the imagination, you know?

Seven minutes in the heavens

3-2-1 liftoff! everyone says in unison, voices elevated like the rest of us will be soon enough.

Seat belts clicked into place, cell phones confined to see-through cases worn around the neck so that they wont be dropped, the steady ascension begins.

Its a gradual climb, allowing any clammy-palmed acrophobes to keep a leash on their nerves.

People chatter; teeth chatter.

Dance music plays as pink and blue lights pulsate.

At the top of the attraction, the 16-seat gondola spins slowly; you can take everything in without turning your head.

Its an observation deck of sorts, Beneville explains.

You can see for miles in all directions mountains to the west; man-made grandeur to the east your feet dangling above the parking lot 13-stories below.

Its a mix of sophistication and simplicity, a space-age structure housing hot air balloon technology that dates back nearly 250 years; a futuristic ride posited on the primal thrill of being really, really high up in the air.

Seven minutes later, were back on the ground.

The rides over; the rides have just begun.

Its not a billion dollar thing, Beneville says of Liftoff, which is now open to the public. Its actually some cinder blocks, some cool art, some couches that are painted and a helluva cool ride.

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @jbracelin76 on Instagram

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Liftoff lifts off: Area15s newest ride has view of Strip and beyond - Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Chilly Las Vegas to warm up a bit Thursday, forecasters say - Las Vegas Review-Journal

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A recent study predicts thousands of local jobs could vanish to automation and it says Las Vegas has the nations highest percentage of workers at high risk of being replaced by technology.

The hospitality industry is already embracing technology such as the kiosks at restaurants, robots serving food, automated check-in procedures at hotels and more.

The study by Commodity.com says more than 49% of Las Vegas workers are at a high risk of automation, while 42% of all U.S. workers face the same risk. The study says gaming dealers have a probability of automation of 96%.

While the idea of automation isnt new, the pandemic has accelerated a lot of technology in the workforce.

Irene Bustamante Adams, the deputy director and chief strategy officer for Workforce Connections offers this advice.

We know that automation is coming, its here, its even going to get more accelerated over the next couple of years. So if youre a job seeker, the concern should be what kind of skills do I need to learn? How do I take what I know now and upscale?'

Automation is more likely to impact lower-skilled jobs that involve repetition. Even so, it doesnt sit well with some jobseekers.

I think its absolutely a crime because. Its just putting a lot of us who would like to work out of jobs. Also, you want us to do it and then the machines dont work, said Lynn Beamer, who is looking for a job.

Researchers behind the study looked at the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the University of Oxford.

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STUDY: Half of Las Vegas workers have high risk of automation - KLAS - 8 News Now

NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas owes a debt to the Golden Knights trip to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

The leagues creative team knew it had to be bold, audacious and daring to stand out during a tremendous sports weekend in one of the entertainment capitals of the world. So the group, led by NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer, flashed back to something it had pulled off June 7, 2018, before the Knights lost to the Washington Capitals in the decisive Game 5 of the finals.

The pregame entertainment before puck drop featured lights, instruments and the Las Vegas band Panic! at the Disco singing their song High Hopes. It all just happened to be on a floating stage in the middle of the Bellagio fountains.

We as event producers do this all the time, Mayer said. You hope nothing goes wrong, but you really hope you can do something that youll remember for a lifetime. That was one of those events like Wow, that was so cool.

That inspiration pushed the team to create events as memorable as possible for the skills competition Friday and the All-Star Game on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Pucks are going to fly into the fountain and a giant deck of cards is going to hang from Las Vegas Boulevard.

The NHL knows the bar for a memorable event in Las Vegas is high, and the league has put a lot of effort in attempting to clear it.

How do you do something in this town that actually gets people to talk a little bit? Mayer asked. And when you leave town, gets them to remember what you did? Thats not easy to do. And I hope that we accomplish that.

Long time coming

Knights owner Bill Foley said 100 percent he always wanted to have an All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Team president Kerry Bubolz said the club first had conversations about hosting All-Star Weekend in its inaugural season of 2017-18.

The Knights knew they werent likely to host anytime soon. But they did want the possibility on the NHLs radar. The league went to Tampa, Florida, in 2018, San Jose, California, in 2019 and St. Louis in 2020 before skipping the event during its pandemic-shortened 2021 season.

The two sides decided Las Vegas would be the place to bring it back in 2022. The unique aspect of it was the Knights didnt have to do much selling to make it happen.

After last year, we were just monitoring, what are we going to do, where can we go? Mayer said. It just made all the sense in the world that this would be a choice.

Bubolz spent 13 years with the Cleveland Cavaliers before coming to Las Vegas in 2016. His final three years involved trying to get the NBA All-Star Game to Cleveland, a bidding process that required things such as having a hotel with 600 rooms close to the venue. The city is finally hosting this year.

Those questions arent an issue in Las Vegas. There are more than enough hotel rooms to accommodate everyone. There is also plenty of nearby space for secondary events such as the NHLs Fan Fair, which started Thursday and ends Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall.

Normally those are bigger parts of the process, Bubolz said. That part of the conversation, we didnt spend a lot of time (on it). Its more, Were thinking Vegas, were thinking this time, are you guys ready to go? And, of course, we said yes.

Prep time

The Knights needed T-Mobile Arena for Tuesdays game against the Buffalo Sabres, but Mayer and his team arrived late last week to begin preparations.

There are always a huge number of moving parts for an event of this size. Fifty to 60 cameras need to be set up for the NHLs two national TV partners ESPN (U.S.) and Sportsnet (Canada). Lights and pyrotechnics need to be brought in. Sound equipment for the musical acts Zedd during the pregame introductions for the All-Star Game and Machine Gun Kelly during the second intermission must be tested.

Besides putting everything in place, Mayer and his team need to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. In parking lots. Outside T-Mobile Arena. Inside the building. Everything needs to be rehearsed so the first time its happening doesnt take place in front of a live audience.

Mayer and his team will even practice the check presentation to the winning team of the All-Star Game. Stand-ins will go through many of the skills events because the NHL schedule went through Wednesday.

These events dont just magically at the snap of a finger happen, Mayer said. Weve got the best team in the world at producing events. And we roll with the punches.

Given the Knights reputation for in-arena presentation they have already projected a giant squid and a flying jet onto the ice this season anticipation is high.

Our city is pretty electric, said Knights captain Mark Stone, who is appearing in his first All-Star Weekend. Our building is the best in the NHL at atmosphere and production. Im excited to see what they put together for the All-Star Game. Im sure our fans will appreciate it.

High bar

Mayer knows hes competing with star performers on the Strip for entertainment dollars during All-Star Weekend.

Theres also the matter of hosting a sporting event the same week that the East-West Shrine Bowl (Thursday) and the NFLs Pro Bowl (Sunday) take place at Allegiant Stadium. Its going to be hard to stand out.

Luckily for him, the surroundings and local team sparked the NHLs creativity. Mayer said the theme of the event will be old Vegas to new Vegas using the Knights as a transition. He is going to take advantage of the location to create experiences worthy of the reputation the team has earned as one of the greatest shows on ice.

Our event and our game presentation, we tried to make it Vegas five years ago, Bubolz said. Make it unique and different. We had a lot of intention about that. The league loves that. They want to bring that to life in the All-Star festivities.

Panic! at the Discos performance led to the creation of the NHL Fountain Face-Off for Fridays skills competition during which eight players will travel by boat to a rink at the Bellagio fountains. They will try to shoot pucks into five targets in the least amount of time while water and wind try to throw them off.

The league also created the NHL 21 in 22 event in which five players shoot at an oversized deck of cards on Las Vegas Boulevard and try to create a hand of 21 without going bust.

The goal was to create events that could only happen in Las Vegas, would get players excited to participate and would be talked about for years.

The one thing about Vegas is theyve never been shy about exposing those unique opportunities and showing what were all about, said Knights coach Pete DeBoer, who will lead the Pacific Division in the All-Star Game. I think guys will enjoy it. I know guys are looking forward to coming into town.

The future

Las Vegas hosting NHL All-Star Weekend further cements the ties between the league and the city.

The NHLs awards show was a fixture in town before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Knights 2017 expansion draft took place at T-Mobile Arena. The team took part in an outdoor game in Stateline at Lake Tahoe last season.

Its fair to wonder whats next. Foley said he hopes the event will lead to another outdoor game or a draft.

Mayer said Las Vegas would be a great place for a draft, but a location for an outdoor game would have to be worked out. Plus, he added, the NHL wants to share some of that love around the league.

Still, theres no question All-Star Weekend has a chance to further what has been a surprising yet undeniably effective partnership between the league and Las Vegas. Hockey in the desert. Turns out it works.

Were extremely fortunate in only our fifth season to have the opportunity, Bubolz said. Its a great, tremendous showcase not only of the best players in the world in our game, but its a tremendous showcase of the city of Las Vegas and the surrounding valley.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.

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Heres how NHL All-Star Weekend came to fruition in Las Vegas - Las Vegas Review-Journal

A man who has been accused of purposely driving the wrong way blamed the incident on the late Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who passed away more than two decades ago.

In one of the crazier stories of the NASCAR offseason,Dale Earnhardt is supposedly to blame for a 51-year-old man intentionally driving the wrong way onLas Vegas, Nevadas 215 beltway last Friday, January 28, leading to reports of crashes involving cars and bicyclists in the area of Lake North Drive and Fort Apache Road, near Sahara Avenue.

But Earnhardt passed away at the age of 49 in February 2001 after a last-lap crash in the Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

The accused party, Daniel Glen Asseff, told a judge that it was the ghost of the late seven-time Cup Series champion who instructed him to pull this disturbing act and drive the wrong way on the freeway, according to KVVU.

In a court hearing earlier this week, Asseff told Judge Ann Zimmerman that the ghost of The Intimidator told him to drive the wrong way on the freeway so that it would get the attention of Mayor Carolyn Goodman and bring NASCAR to Las Vegas.

Heres what he had to say.

That was for Dale Earnhardt Sr., the Intimidator. Told me to open that for racetrack for NASCAR and IndyCar racing if approved by Mayor Goodman for twice a year. They want that use that as a Grand Prix racetrack to open it wrong way backward.

It is worth noting that NASCAR already races in Las Vegas, albeit at an oval in Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In fact, the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval has hosted Cup Series races for 24 years. After hosting one race per year from 1998 to 2017, it has hosted two races per year from 2018 to 2021, including one regular season race and a playoff race.

Two more races are on the schedule for 2022. The Pennzoil 400, the third race on the 36-race schedule, is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 6, and it is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The South Point 400, the first of three races in the round of 8 of the playoffs, is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 16, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

As a result of his actions, Assefffaces charges of attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon, and DUI. He reportedly had heroin and methamphetamine in his system at the time.

Prosecutors, who allege that Asseff was intentionally trying to run over pedestrians and hit other cars, asked for a $200,000 bail, including alcohol monitoring and a driving ban. The judge set bail at $500,000 and called him a danger to the community, ordering him not to drive. Additionally, hemust be evaluated for competence.

This is Asseffs third DUI conviction; his other two came in2016 and 2020.

In real NASCAR news, the Cup Series is scheduled to get the 2022 season underway with the 64th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 20 (2:30 p.m. ET, Fox). The Busch Light Clash exhibition race is scheduled to take place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this Sunday, February 6 (7:00 p.m. ET, Fox).

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NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt blamed for Las Vegas beltway incident - Beyond the Flag

This weekend, 44 of the NHLs best players converge on Las Vegas for the 2022 NHL All-Star game and skills competition. The festivities get underway on Friday with the skills competition, which features familiar events including the fastest skater, breakaway challenge, and hardest shot competitions and a couple of new ones against the backdrop of the Las Vegas Strip.

All-Star action continues on Saturday with the game itself, which follows a tournament format with three 20-minute, three-on-three games. The two divisions that win in the semifinal round advance to the final for the championship game.

Heres what we are looking forward to at this years All-Star weekend.

Once upon a time, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wanted nothing to do with sports betting. Now, theres an NHL team in Las Vegas, the city is hosting All-Star weekend, and the skills competition is presented by DraftKings.

Expect to see plenty of Las Vegas-themed imagery woven throughout the presentation of each event, starting with the All-Star logo designed to look like a glittering marquee sign on the Strip. During the skills competition magician Dustin Tavella will perform a hockey-themed trick, bringing the mystique of Las Vegas to the ice.

For the seventh time in his 15-year NHL career, captain Claude Giroux will represent the Flyers at All-Star weekend. After Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the NHL named Giroux his replacement as captain of the Metropolitan Division team.

Giroux will participate in a to-be-announced event at the skills competition. In previous years, Giroux competed in the passing challenge and the save streak challenge. His family will be making the trip to Las Vegas this weekend as well. Maybe his son, Gavin, who hit the ice at the Flyers Training Center last week, will make his All-Star on-ice debut.

Any time you get to go play with the best in the league, its always great, Giroux said. This year, its a little bit more special having Gavin come with us. So it should be some good memories.

The Flyers may only have one human being All-Star this year, but they also have one furry, orange behemoth All-Star. Thats right Gritty returns to All-Star action this weekend at the seventh NHL Mascot Showdown, which features 28 mascots from across the league.

On Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, the mascots will compete against each other in a variety of competitions, including dodgeball, a costume contest, a skills competition, broomball, and something called medieval games. In 2019, Gritty turned heads in the fastest skater event against S.J. Sharkie of the San Jose Sharks. At the end of the weekend, the championship trophy and Most Valuable Mascot championship belt will be awarded.

Wherever Gritty goes, a viral moment usually follows, so he will surely give people something to talk about.

Former Flyers forward and Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod BrindAmour will coach the Metropolitan Division team at the All-Star game. BrindAmour competed at the All-Star game himself back in 1992 when the event took place at the Spectrum.

BrindAmour joins Andrew Brunette of the Florida Panthers (Atlantic), Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche (Central), and Peter DeBoer of the Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific) as All-Star head coaches. Each coach was selected because their teams had the highest points percentages in their respective divisions through Jan. 10. At the time, BrindAmours Hurricanes were 24-7-2 with a .758 points percentage.

I guess its how they do it, right? BrindAmour said to local reporters on Jan. 12. At that point, there was some sort of cut-off date. Its the easiest way to do it. I mean, who cares whos coaching All-Star games?

READ MORE: Flyers great Rod BrindAmours case for the Hockey Hall of Fame

This years skills competition will feature two new events, which both incorporate the sights and experiences of Las Vegas. One of the events, the Fountain Face-Off, takes place on the Bellagio Fountains.

Players will travel to the event stage on a boat. From the stage, designed to look like a rink, players must shoot pucks into five targets in the shortest amount of time. First, there will be a qualifying round, and then select players will advance to the head-to-head final. The spray of water from the fountain and the breeze off the Strip will make the competition more challenging.

Another skills competition event will take place on Las Vegas Boulevard. In NHL 21 in 22, players will shoot at a full hanging deck of oversized cards to achieve a hand of 21 without going bust.

The objective is to pull the feat off in the least number of shots. The player who wins two rounds will be anointed Puck Shark.

The rest of the skills competition will take place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. Joining the 44 NHL All-Stars for the event are four special guests: Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, former goaltender Manon Rhaume, the first woman to play in an NHL game, actor Wyatt Russell, son of Miracle actor Kurt Russell, and three-time Olympic womens hockey medalist Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson.

Lamoureux-Davidson will participate in the Fountain Face-Off and assist with the accuracy shooting competition.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid will attempt to make All-Star history in Las Vegas. He will compete in the fastest skater competition, which he won three times from 2017 through 2019. If he wins No. 4, he will overtake Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Gartner for most career victories.

Last time McDavid participated in the event in 2020, he came in second with a time of 13.215 seconds to New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal(13.175 seconds). This year, Barzal will not be present, but McDavid will have to take down the likes of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar if he wants to earn the title for a fourth time.

Past All-Star Weekends have served as prime locations for the casual recruiting of future free agents by other players. In 2018, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews jokingly said that he attempted to lure Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who was set to become a free agent in 2019, to Toronto.

With Giroux slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and with the March 21 trade deadline quickly approaching, will All-Stars try to have casual conversations with him about his future? Stanley Cup contender Colorado will be well-represented by Makar and forward Nazem Kadri. Maybe they have thoughts on where Giroux should continue his career.

The red carpet event to kick off All-Star weekend doubles as a runway for the players to showcase their individual senses of style, or lack thereof. Matthews usually finds a way to get people talking with his outfit choices and hell be making his fourth trip to the All-Star game this weekend.

Its also the perfect place for old friends to reunite. In 2019, while handing out water bottles to guests, Gritty pounced on and caught up with with his pal Giroux.

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NHL All-Star weekend: Claude Giroux, Gritty and hockey-themed blackjack among things to watch for in Vegas - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Portion of Las Vegas Strip to be closed Thursday afternoon for NHL event - FOX5 Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A wrong-way driver accused of intentionally crashing into two cars and attempting to kill two bicyclists had faced previous DUI charges and had used heroin before driving, an arrest report obtained by the 8 News Now I-Team said.

Police arrested Daniel Asseff, 51, on charges of attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and DUI, third offense, after the incidents on Friday, Jan. 28.

The incident started near the intersection of Lake North Drive and Fort Apache Road and continued along the 215 where officers were eventually able to stop him, they said.

Officers detained Asseff on the freeway eastbound just south of Sahara Avenue. No injuries were reported and the 215 reopened at around 4 p.m.

Police said Asseff nearly hit two people during the incident.

A witness told police Asseff intentionally hit a car, saying He was dead, before hitting it, an arrest report obtained Wednesday said.

Police found Asseff in the car on the southbound offramp to 215 in the opposite lane of travel, they said.

When officers arrested Asseff, he told them he used meth and heroin, but stated he used narcotics three weeks prior, the report said. Still, officers noted he was stumbling, had trouble walking, slurred his words and had glassy eyes.

Though charged with his second DUI offense in 2020, it appears the district attorney denied the charge moving forward.

A judge set bail at $500,000 and ordered Asseff to undergo a competency hearing.

Originally posted here:

I-Team: Driver in Las Vegas wrong-way crash arrested on DUI for 3rd time - KLAS - 8 News Now