It only took nine seasons for something to cause a delay at T-Mobile Arena.

This one included an ice crew, 25 minutes of pondering, and a rave.

If you went to bed early Thursday night and wondered why the game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames ended much later than normal, that’s the short of it.

The start to the third period was delayed for nearly a half-hour after what the Knights’ TV broadcast described as one of the zambonis creating a hole in the ice.

The end result was both teams staying in their locker rooms well passed the second intermission.

“We were actually getting ready to go out,” said winger Brett Howden, “and then they pulled us back in.”

Ice, ice baby

The broadcast stated that the zamboni dragged across the visitor’s side of the ice and created a hole on the City of Las Vegas decal.

The V in “Vegas” partially came off. pic.twitter.com/tdWhrrcIr1

— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) April 3, 2026

The arena’s ice crew tended to the frozen-encased divot for 25 minutes. Fire extinguishers were, ironically, brought out to smooth the edges.

Knights captain Mark Stone and Flames captain Mikael Backlund, along with the referees, oversaw most of the operation while surveying if the playing surface was deemed safe to play.

All the while, DJ Joe Green kept the good times rolling, blasting EDM nightclub tunes as nine individuals hovered around each other — spotlight encased on them — to figure out when the puck would be dropped.

“It was tough, to be honest,” winger Mitch Marner said. “We didn’t know what was going on. We just kind of heard what was going on.”

The captains have been summoned. pic.twitter.com/HwIa11nFPX

— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) April 3, 2026

The teams took to the ice while the ice crew continued to hammer away. They brought back the fire extinguishers, as the congregation of on-ice spectators doubled and looked on for a few more minutes before the puck actually dropped.

“Then, we kind of got out there and it still seems like it’s not really fixed,” Marner said. “You’re just trying to get your bearings under you, try to get going.”

Coach John Tortorella couldn’t remember the last time he was involved this lengthy, though the longtime bench boss believes he went through something similar at one point in his career.

Tortorella didn’t need to give a second speech. He already got his team in order through the allotted intermission time.

“We just waited it out,” he said.

Added Marner: “(The ice) just kind of felt like it grabbed a little bit. We were just talking about safety measures, about what we should do, but I think everyone was in the same boat of not wanting to come back here and play a third period just for that moment.”

Dominant in the third

Then came the start of the third, where the Knights put out the Flames, sans fire extinguisher.

They scored three times in the third for a 6-3 win and improved to 2-0 under Tortorella.

“You get to that third period, you have a delay like you did, it’s a find-a-way league,” Tortorella said. “You just got to find a way to win a period.”

Goaltender Carter Hart had the most to battle with the extra time in his first start in nearly three months.

Hart, who finished with 19 saves and got the win, couldn’t get into his routine, so he had to channel his inner zen.

“Just staying in it mentally,” Hart said. “Meditated a little bit, just staying warm, staying ready for the next puck.”

There were nine combined shots in the third period — the Knights had six of them and scored on half of them.

Howden broke the 3-3 tie with 7:40 remaining, and Ivan Barbashev added a crucial insurance goal 2:39 later.

Marner completed his first hat trick as a member of the Knights with 1:29 left to finish 2-0-2 during their four-game homestand.

The eventful game went deep into the night, and the ice should be fixed by the time the Knights return home in a week to play their final two games of the regular season.

Now, a crucial four-game road trip awaits. A time to truly see where Tortorella has this team.

“We just stayed with it,” Tortorella said. “I’m happy with the way they handled themselves.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.