LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A Vegas Golden Knights original misfit has turned into a Hall of Famer. Deryk Engelland is one of five members being inducted in the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame 2025 class.
“Kind of shock,” Engelland said. “A guy with my skill set you don’t really have the Hall of Fame check list goals to achieve and to get honored like that it’s pretty special, especially here in Vegas where we’ve been living for 20+ years. Don’t see ourselves moving any time in the future, so it’s an honor.”
Deryk Engelland played 11 seasons and over 670 games in the National Hockey League, three of those seasons and 202 of those games with the Golden Knights.
During the 2017-18 season, Engelland won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, and during his time with the VGK, he put up 41 points, blocked 388 shots, and recorded 401 hits. However, his most memorable moment wasn’t with a hockey stick; it was a microphone.
Nine days after the tragic events of 1 October, Engelland delivered what is now the “Vegas Strong” speech.
“I was nervous. My wife prepared the speech because that’s not my strong suit. Neither is talking in front of 18,000+ people, so the nerves were definitely there, but looking at my career and being in hockey, that was easy; the speech was not for me.”
“Looking over my entire career, that’s going to go down as one of the biggest things in my career in my eyes. I still meet people who tell me how the speech and that year over the course of that year helped them or change them, make them hockey fans, however it helped them. It still gets brought up and makes you feel real good. I was hesitant to do it because I don’t like talking in front of people, but it’s one of the top things I’ve ever done in my career and it’s not even hockey.”
More than five years after his playing career, Engelland remains active not only with the team but the community as well. He serves as Special Assistant to Golden Knights owner, Bill Foley, he is part of the TV broadcast team and is the President of the VGK Alumni Association, which helps raise money and donations for the VGK Foundation.
“You think Hall of Fame, you think top players in whatever it is, with the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame is the community side as well, not just the sports and I pride myself my whole career trying to give back and get out and do as many things as I can. It’s rewarding, it’s a great honor to be inducted to any HOF, especially here at home, but the community aspect is a big part of my career and post-career, it’s a rewarding thing that you’re going out and helping other people.”
“Without the fans, the community I wouldn’t have a job. I played with some great players in Pittsburgh with (Sidney Crosby) and those guys and seeing how the top players in the world treat the people and do the things in the community, really shows you if the top guys can do it, everyone can do it. Being at home is an extra bonus to get out there and do more. I also have two young boys that play sports, that you want to show them the right way as well.”
“Probably the most rewarding thing that I get to do as part of my job is get out there and be with the kids in different sports or give back and it’s a lot of fun doing that.”
The Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame takes place Friday, June 13th at Lee’s Family Forum.
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