The Vegas Golden Knights game day experience is like no other and is the gold standard for entertainment in sports. With VGK personalities like Chance and the Vegas Vivas, hype videos on the KnightTron, and flashy guest appearances to get the crowd pumped up, there’s an incredible game entertainment team that makes the magic of the Golden Knights experience come to life.
The Game Entertainment department covers a variety of different specialties that seem unrelated but come together as one to bring an award-winning game day experience to fans. Some of the women responsible for creating that experience are Emma Kazian, Paige Carter, Maddy Rusen, and Katie Borton.
Kazian is the Manager of Entertainment Experience with the Golden Knights. She oversees all in-game entertainment, such as the national anthem singers, the siren crankers, and games with the in-arena hosts and contestants. Simply put, she manages all the fun things that happen outside of hockey that fans can enjoy. Kazian brings years of sports entertainment experience working for other teams like the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL or Colorado Eagles in the AHL.
“I love what I do. I appreciate the ability to connect with our fans and help other people make memories growing up because going to games with my dad is a huge part of my childhood,” Kazian said. “When people come to a Golden Knights game, they can turn their brains off for the three hours they’re there and just be entertained. Whether it’s just the hockey, or some silly video we play, or an intermission game, they can forget about what’s going on and just be fully present in the Vegas experience for those few hours. That’s why I do what I do, and we give it 110 percent.”
Working in sports for eight years, Kazian has gained priceless experience to make the Golden Knights experience that much better. She has cast a wide network that includes the individual fans or major celebrities that visit The Fortress on game days. Networking, hard work, and exceptional reputation has led Kazian to being one of the best in the business, something she hopes to inspire others to follow.
“Your network is everything. This industry is all about who you know, but it’s also about how they know you,” said Kazian. “Work really hard to hone your craft in whatever area you’re in. Being really good at that job and creating that reputation will open the doors for you and finding people along the way that are going to hold them open for you is everything.”
Kazian works closely with Paige Carter throughout the season to coordinate cast for game days. Carter serves as the Cast Director for the Golden Knights which entails being the direct point of contact to organize cast such as Chance, the Vegas Vivas, and the Knight Line drummers. Every appearance request for a VGK cast member must go through Carter who then helps ensure fans are getting memorable experiences when meeting cast.
Throughout her life, Carter always had a passion for dance. She danced on professional sports teams for eight seasons before making the move to be a dance coach. Carter aspired to be a dance coach to inspire and mentor the next generation of dancers. She coached a competitive high school pom team in Arizona before landing a job with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where she coached their dance team for 10 seasons. The Thunder was life changing for her, but she wanted to continue to grow. The Vegas Golden Knights was that opportunity for her and has thrived for the last four seasons.
“I think that even though I always grew up in dance and that was always the female-dominated side of sports, it is a very powerful role because it is unique to what is going on in the rest of the organization,” Carter said. “You’re learning something new every day. When you think you’ve seen it all, something else happens. You don’t ever know what to expect next.”
Being in sports her life has allowed Carter to gain the knowledge that can help guide her cast members and younger generations to do what they always dreamed of doing. She always followed her passions and motivates others to do the same.
“There is always a role for women in the sports industry. Even in a male-dominated organization because men and women have different qualities, and all of those qualities are needed in a successful organization,” Carter said. “Everyone has a different strength, a different talent, and a different skill.”
Fans have seen Rusen’s videos on the KnightTron during games, the Golden Knights social channels, and KnightTime+. With her videos, she gets the crowd to bring the energy into The Fortress for an electric atmosphere.
“It’s not very common that you see a lot of women working behind the camera or even holding a camera. I’d really like to help break down that barrier that it doesn’t need to just be a male-centered job,” Rusen said. “A woman can work behind the camera and edit videos because they have the creativity and the drive to want to learn.”
Rusen enjoys putting her own spin on the Golden Knights themes and ideas. After working for Vegas for over two years now, she has settled in her comfortability to stretch the boundaries in providing content for the team. Though she has produced hundreds of videos for the Golden Knights, her favorite video she’s made aired in the final regular season game before the 2024 playoffs. By adding a dragon roar to the end of the teaser video, she helped tee up the playoff theme for the season and unveil the physical dragon that can be seen at the castle in The Fortress.
“You never know what opportunity is going to come at you. You can think you’re not good enough, but you are,” Rusen said about what advice she’d give those who want to join the sports video industry. “You can surprise yourself at how good you actually are or if somebody’s willing to give you the chance to prove yourself. Just keep improving your portfolio and yourself.”
One final element to the women of the Game Entertainment sphere is Katie Borton, Manager of Live Production. Borton is the crucial member in overseeing the technical side of game days to make sure they are running smoothly. She is the lead manager for the production game day staff, and she ensures anything on a screen within T-Mobile Arena flows accurately from the time doors open to when the last fan leaves. Borton and her team are the people behind the curtains pulling all the strings.
“There’s a lot of examples of people who have found their niche here, and I feel like I am one of them. I never really thought I’d be doing quite what I’m doing right now, but if you apply yourself and give it your best effort, you’ll succeed,” Borton said. “We work in a really cool industry, so I think it’s important to me to be a good role model and encourage other women to try and join the industry because it is so male heavy. There’s always a spot.”
Borton, alongside Kazian and Rusen, were a part of the team that won an Emmy in 2023. The Game Entertainment team has also won various other awards such as IDEAs (International Design Excellence Awards), Clios, and Stanleys (NHL awards). Winning awards will always feel surreal to the team, including Borton.
“It’s a great recognition for all the work that goes into it. You stand back and think of all the people that it took to make it happen. There’s cast, crew, and so many others that are involved with being recognized in that sort of way,” Borton said. “It’s cool to say that our whole group as a whole is being recognized on that level, which is not something that’s very traditional. It’s a testament to everybody involved.”
While Kazian, Carter, Rusen, and Borton all have a different piece of the game entertainment realm, they all lean on each other and show what it means to be a true team. Utilizing everyone’s strengths to produce a show for fans to remember is what it’s all about at the Golden Knights. This team shows what it means to celebrate every win, and celebrate the goal horn, even if they are the ones pushing it. They make sure every fan leaves The Fortress wanting to come back for more.