The Las Vegas NHL franchise tonight announced it will be known as the Vegas Golden Knights™. The long-awaited name of the city's first major-league sports franchise was revealed during a public ceremony at the Toshiba Plaza outside T-Mobile Arena.

During this historic event, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman shared comments about the excitement of naming the 31st NHL team; General Manager George McPhee spoke about building a team and the power behind the Vegas Golden Knights; and Bill Foley, majority owner of the Vegas Golden Knights unveiled the team name.

"We want our team to be known for dedication, honor, strength, courage and a commitment to never give up - both on the ice and off," said Foley. "We want our team to be committed to teamwork, service to this great city and integrity in all things - and we wanted a name and logo that represented all of this and was unique to Las Vegas and our community. Vegas Golden Knights is that name."

Video: Bill Foley on the choosing of team name and logo

Foley explained, "We selected 'Knights' because knights are the defenders of the realm and protect those who cannot defend themselves. They are the elite warrior class."

The team's colors - steel grey, gold, red and black - reflect the community and the focus of the team:

Steel grey represents strength and durability

Nevada is the largest producer of gold in the United States, it is a highly-valued precious metal and is a color seen in the Las Vegas terrain

Red is from the Vegas skyline, the desert and the beauty of the Red Rock canyons; red is also a color associated with the readiness to serve

Black represents power and intensity

Drawing on themes associated with knights, the helmet in the team's logo includes a 'V' to represent Las Vegas. The secondary logos include swords that create the star from the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign.

"The Vegas Golden Knights team name and logo embody this great city and the mission of our team. When people see it, we want them to say 'These guys never give up. These guys are going to win'," said Foley.

Lifestyle apparel company, Black Clover, sponsored the event.

Golden Knights team apparel and gear is now available online at shop.nhl.com and adidas.com and at the NHL Powered by Reebok flagship store in New York City.

The official team website is nhl.com/goldenknights and the official team app is the NHL App. Fans can follow the team on Facebook: Vegas Golden Knights; Twitter @goldenknights; Instagram: @lvgoldenknights; and Snapchat: lvgoldenknights. Fans can also join in the conversation using #BoldInGold.

The Vegas Golden Knights will begin play in the 2017-2018 season.

Media can obtain team graphics at media.NHL.com.

About Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights is a National Hockey League franchise owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, LLC. The Vegas Golden Knights was established by founding partners Bill Foley and his family and the Maloof family.