Hockey Night in Vegas

Stacey and Nikki make a Moose sandwich apres NHL Awards

LAS VEGAS–The NHL Awards at the Wynn Hotel and Casino? With a name like Wynn, no wonder there were no Leafs walking the grounds.
I’m down here on the dime of Travel + Escape, not to attend hockey banquets but to interview their two dudes where are canoe-ing nearby in Lake Mead, the Paddling Bryans. Couldn’t help but notice, however, that the NHL Awards were happening right at the very same resort.
Travel+Escape’s Nikki Lamb Tudico ventured out after the Awards and bagged a Moose, Mark Messier, seen above with Nikki’s pal Stacey Burnett. Ex-Oiler Grant Fuhr was part of Messier’s posse at one of the Wynn resorts 70 or 80 bars.
They had a red carpet set up outside the Wynn Theatre where the big show was taking place. Every TV in every bar in the joint was tuned to replays of the Stanley Cup finals during the day Wednesday and to the Awards themselves were on screens everywhere Wednesday night.
There was no evidence of the Hart or Con Smythe being tossed into the Bellagio fountain this morning, although the men’s room outside the Wynn theatre was closed for repairs. Tourists dressed in Kings, Devils and Rangers gear were all over the casino. Leaf fans, unfortunately, were directed down the street to Circus Circus.

It’s Christmas every day inside the fanciful Wynn resort

This Wynn resort is crazy opulent, with neon red chandeliers, cabana-rimmed pools everywhere and nothing but gold trim. The place looks like the lining of a Don Cherry blazer. Even the gold fish in the many pools are 24-carat. Was wondering how they managed to keep all the lawns outside to perfectly green in this dessert heat. The answer: AstroTurf. Everywhere.

In case you were wondering, room service will set you back $28.10 at the Encore for orange juice and cereal. Talk about freshly squeezed! At least you get two boxes of Raisin Bran.
Read SI’s Adrian Dater’s account of the NHL Awards Vegas bash here. He’s right about this not being a hockey town and how odd it seems for NHLers to be making this scene. The Wynn is one spectacular, Technicolor Inn, however, Bugsy Malone would be astounded (and probably more than a little bitter).