Before the puck dropped on tonight’s Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks season opener, it had some flying to do.
The Golden Knights teamed up with Overlook Horizon to launch a weather balloon into the atmosphere with the eventual ceremonial season-opening puck attached to it. The balloon and its puck passenger reached an altitude of 94,655 feet, a world record.
It's a #VGKWorldwide RECORD!!
Tonight's opening faceoff puck reach 94,656 feet!!#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/BBLE8nxhE6
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 3, 2019
The puck’s journey began in Amarosa Valley, where it was launched and didn’t return to the ground for two hours 16 minutes 22 seconds, eventually touching down in Death Valley.
Locating the puck required a four-mile hike undertaken by three scouting groups searching for it.
Once secured, the puck was transported back to T-Mobile Arena for the ceremonial face-off that kicked off the Golden Knights’ season.
In attendance to see the puck reach its final destination were three of the Nevada State Highway Patrol Officers tasked with retrieving it from Death Valley: Jason Buratczuk, Travis Smaka and Scott Williams.
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