Since stumbling onto one of the possible names for Las Vegas’ new NHL team – the Las Vegas Nighthawks – I’ve been looking out for other interesting domain registrations that could be tied to the team.
At the time, team owner Bill Foley confirmed that Nighthawks – as well as Red Hawks and Desert Hawks – had been registered by the team and that more registrations were coming. He’s since clarified that Nighthawks is the backup name and that another identity has been chosen, one that also includes the word “knight” or “night.”
Last Thursday, a trio of domains were registered that piqued my interest, containing a new name that hadn’t been mentioned before.
Las Vegas Desert Knights.
Unlike the registrations for the Nighthawks, Red Hawks, and Desert Hawks domain names; lasvegasdesertknights.com, vegasdesertknights.com, and desertknightshockey.com were private registrations. That means that there’s nothing directly tying them to the Las Vegas organization. The team did not respond to a request for comment.
Why do I think this might be the name, then?
The domains are registered through Moniker Privacy Services. While the fact that anyone can use that service means I don’t know for certain that they belong to Foley, Moniker just happens to be the registrar through whom NHL.com is registered. Hardly conclusive but an intereresting coincidence.
More importantly, Foley said that further registrations were coming and this set of domain names is the only one I’ve seen that hits the intersection of hockey, Las Vegas, contains the word (k)night, and is not obviously a domain speculator.
We know the team name has been decided on. It would be bad business for them to not register related domains, as leaks become more likely with more people in the know. They’d be setting themselves up to have the domains snatched out from under them.
It’s possible that this is a domain speculator and either the actual name hasn’t been registered yet or I’ve missed it. I just think it’s more likely that Las Vegas Desert Knights is the new team name. Call this educated speculation.
S/T to Jenny Jensen for noticing that NHL.com also uses Moniker.
Update (8/26, 9:40 PM): Per Amber Dixon of NBC Las Vegas, Bill Foley has confirmed that he purchased the Desert Knights domains.
Day late but #LasVegas NHL team owner Bill Foley just confirmed by text he has registered domain names that include “Desert Knights.”
— Amber Dixon (@AmberNews3LV) August 27, 2016
It’s important to note that while he confirmed the purchase of the domains, he did not confirm that Desert Knights will be the team name. That said, it’s getting to be very late in the game for registering contingency domains.
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Interesting, could be, it works, Desert=Vegas Knights=Foley, 2+2=?
I call bullshit. I’d bet my middle nut this is nighthawks all over again
I’m not sure how “nighthawks all over again” is a negative. We found a name that Foley hadn’t made public and it led to all of the names that he had already registered. None of them were the final name, true, but finding those forced him to acknowledge where they were in the naming process a little more explicitly than he had been.
Since they’re not responding to me, maybe someone with a little more access would like to ask the Las Vegas organization about Desert Knights.
It’s a horrendous name. Use Nighthawks.
Nighthawks…barf. Hope its a backuuuuup like 4th in line backup lol
The thing is, lasvegasilverknights.com is registered through Moniker also. So it is just as likely going to be Silver Knights (if they have not decided yet, that is).
Actually, I’ve got data on that one, too.
LasVegasSilverKnights.com was registered back in April (privately, through Moniker). As of early July, Foley’s organization was still registering their domains publicly. It would be a little odd (but not unprecedented) that they privately registered Silver Knights, then publicly registered more domains.
That said, it does show that anyone could be using Moniker, so the NHL.com – LasVegasDesertKnights.com connection is tenuous at best.
The thing that is most telling, and the reason I published this, is the timing. Foley said the actual name had yet to be registered back on April 11. This is the only name to come up since then (unless I missed one) that fits the parameters he’s set. He could be lying. He could have not registered anything yet and this is just a speculator with good timing. Or this could be it.
Well, the thing might be most telling is that Foley – who’s never been one to hold his tongue – specifically issued a “no comment” to the Las Vegas Review-Journal about it. Ignoring my request for comment is one thing, no-commenting the LVRJ is another.
Ah, that all makes sense, Clark. The timing thing is interesting – after all, it may be a bit late in the day to start domain prospecting, in addition to what you said. Interesting about Foley’s “no comment” too.
I actually don’t mind Desert Knights at all. I am not sure why the knee jerk reaction among many is to hate every name that comes out. The team could have an awesome, unique color scheme based on that name.
One question – if the team actually goes ahead and trademarks the name, do you know if they will be able to keep it off the public record until it is announced, or would it have to be on the website as public record?
My understanding of the trademark database is that it’s a few days behind but once something is submitted, there’s no way to keep it off the record. I don’t know that for sure, though. Domains fall much more into my realm of expertise.
doesn’t seem to the case Clark. The Foley group is on record as saying the trademarked Silver Knights awhile back and it still does not show up doing a TESS search.
The Foley group also said they own the domains for Silver Knights. As discussed upthread, they would have had to have registered that privately, then gone back to registering everything publicly for the Hawks-related domains.
Additionally, around the 11th they said the five names being considered were the three hawk names and two that hadn’t been registered yet. Silver Knights had already been registered by then.
Well, I now own SinCityDesertKnights.com and SinCitySilverKnights.com
Here’s to hoping it’s one of the two! Thanks for the tips.
I don’t like the name. Seems too minor league-ish. I read somewhere that all “hawks” names are no longer being considered, and they were unsure about using the word “knights” at all. Will be interrsting to see what they actually go with. Sounds like a decision is coming soon. It’s just my opinion, but every new team, should have a great name, but that’s not always the case, I guess, and history proves that. Either way, I think there’s a huge fan base for this team. They’ll be like the Red Wings, and fans will come wherever they go.
the name Desert Knights isn’t that great but could lend itself to a cool jersey and color scheme. If they go with it, I don’t think it matters all that much as people are just going to call the team the “Knights” anyways like people shorten Blue Jackets to Jackets.
Here’s a thought…how ’bout the Las Vegas Dice? It has the word ‘ice’ in it. Or the Las Vegas Rolling Bones? They could have the Rolling Stones open their first game for them. What about the Las Vegas Nuggets? There’s gotta be some kinda rocks in somebody’s head, to want to put a hockey team in the Nevada desert. Or, there’s the Las Vegas cactus, ’cause they’ll stick it to you in the corners. How ’bout the Las Vegas Lounge Lizards – there’s no shortage of those in Vegas. Ahhh, I could go on with more of these, but it’s getting late.
We need to use a name of something that actually is from the desert or something that relates to the city of Las Vegas. When was the last time you saw a Desert Knight? Maybe Night be not a Knight. I suggest the following names:
Las Vegas Scorpions
Las Vegas Rattlers
Sin City Gamblers
For the record, I wrote a bit about the life that this post took on over at my personal blog.
If it is in fact, the Desert Knights, the name might be bad, but yeah a good color can sell some jerseys and shirts. We’ll see. I was thinking Las Vegas Renegades, or Gamblers, something different.