Executive Chairman, DUN & BRADSTREET HOLDNGS INC
Interview with Bill Foley and George McPhee of Vegas Golden Knights on The Ed Bernstein Show
In a thrilling celebration of their first Stanley Cup victory, the Vegas Golden Knights recently held an unforgettable Championship Parade in Las Vegas! Now, get ready to continue the excitement with throwback interviews from 2017 with the team's owner, Bill Foley, and General Manager, George McPhee. Listen to their predictions for this new, young, and talented team. Tune in this Sunday for exclusive insights into the minds of these visionaries and their hopes for the future of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Check out the full interview with George McPhee from 2017, very interesting
look on how it...
About William Foley
William Foley, executive chairman of Dun & Bradstreet and owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, has been active in business, sports, and local politics. In a December 2024 interview, Foley said he has the financial resources to help bring an NBA team to Las Vegas, noting that he owns part of T-Mobile Arena and would like to renovate it if an NBA team arrived. He also commented on national politics, stating that under the prior administration he believed there would have been "open borders" and "more inflation," and criticized policies he said provided resources to undocumented immigrants. Separately, in a November 2024 candidate interview, Foley discussed his run for chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow County in Montana, advocating for greater transparency in government meetings, enforcement of open meeting laws, and increased resources for police to address drug-related crime. Foley has continued to emphasize his commitment to winning with the Golden Knights, stating in a 2022 interview that he likes being the underdog and that the organization has "never apologized for being aggressive" in its pursuit of a Stanley Cup. He has also been active in fintech investments, including a $100 million investment in Sightline Payments, which he described as a "next generation payment solution" for online betting and gaming. Foley has led multiple SPAC mergers, including taking Paysafe and Alight public, and has stated that he looks for "utilities" in the marketplace—companies that are "a key ingredient" and difficult to disintermediate.
Transcript (70 segments)
I
Interviewer0:00
Foreign.
Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. Our city was united again. The fans received a memorable parade on the Las Vegas Strip and Bill Foley's dream of making this town a hockey town was fulfilled. I had the pleasure of interviewing owner Bill Foley and general manager George McPhee just before the start of their inaugural year in 2017. They predicted a Stanley Cup win. And here we are, Stanley Cup victors.
Okay, so with me is Bill Foley, one of the majority owners of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. This has got to be the most exciting week of your life, I would think.
W
William Foley0:46
This has been unbelievable. We got in on Saturday before we got the expansion protected list, and we've been working Saturday, Saturday night, all day Sunday. Once we got the protected list, Sunday was kind of quiet because we thought we anticipated a lot of teams contacting us and doing deals, and it didn't really happen. They were all observing, absorbing, trying to figure it out. We think about a third of the teams didn't really understand the mess they were in. And then Monday was unbelievable. They went until 12, I left, they went till 12 midnight or 1 a.m., and they started again this morning at 7 a.m. We're still going strong.
I
Interviewer1:25
What is your passion for hockey? Develop.
W
William Foley1:31
I was a kid in Ottawa, Canada. I played hockey. I wasn't any good, but we played. You started playing in October and you finished around April because the weather's terrible, snows and cold and freezing. So we skated the canals and played pond hockey on all the ponds around town. Pick-up games, three on threes, four on fours. The goalie usually got hammered. But we were kids, eight, nine, and ten.
I
Interviewer2:12
But you were born in Texas, but you really grew up in Ottawa.
W
William Foley2:14
For three years my dad was in the service, so we lived up there. It was a great experience, it was fun.
I
Interviewer2:24
Then when you went to West Point, joined the military, became an attorney. Went to law school. Tell me how you go from being a lawyer to owning a professional sports team. I want that lesson.
W
William Foley2:35
Well, I was never a very successful lawyer like you. I really wanted to get into business after law school. So I practiced law for about eight or nine years, then transitioned to business. I bought a company and built it. That company today is Fidelity National Financial, a title company. We have about 42% national market share. We started with 0.2%, built it from nothing. That company and the ones that spawned and spun off are about $52 billion in market cap today.
I
Interviewer3:14
Wow. And how long has that company been in Las Vegas? Been doing business in Nevada?
W
William Foley3:18
We've been in Nevada for a long time. The headquarters is in Jacksonville, Florida, but we have a major regional office for Fidelity National Title Group here. Also our corporate headquarters for Fidelity National Financial Ventures, our deal shop, is here in this building in Las Vegas.
I
Interviewer3:42
Okay. So now we're about to have a hockey team, which has been amazing. Look, you created this excitement a number of years ago in Las Vegas. I was one of those people. I've lived here for 40 years, but I grew up in Philadelphia, so I've been a hockey fan since 1967. This is not your family. When the Snyders started the Flyers franchise, they came in in '67. By the mid '70s, the Flyers were playing in the Stanley Cup, which is a relatively quick ascent for an expansion team. Squiggly ascent. Can it be replicated? That was my question. You anticipated that it could be, right?
W
William Foley4:23
We can replicate that. Nashville took 17, 19 years to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
I thought it was great because it validated. The Kings, the Ducks – they've been very successful non-traditional hockey market teams. The Panthers made the finals in their first or second or third year. Tampa Bay has been very strong. But Nashville getting there all the way as the eighth seed in the west was a pretty phenomenal accomplishment. They just made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, but then they rallied. So much of this is timing, maximizing your team at the right time.
I
Interviewer5:15
Absolutely. And you've got to build from the ground up, from the net out.
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William Foley5:28
That's what we're going to be doing. George McPhee is working hard on developing our basket of draft picks to build that pipeline. We're also targeting prospects who would otherwise be exempt, giving up a proven player today for a 20-year-old prospect who will be with us for 10, 12 years. That's how we're going to get into the playoffs in three. My goal is to win the Stanley Cup in six or seven years.
I
Interviewer6:03
Wow. But getting back to starting out in Las Vegas and creating the buzz in this town, you did a magnificent job. We were a hungry city. We never had a professional sports team. You emphasized community involvement, and I know you have a foundation active in charitable causes. It seems to me you're really committed to engaging with the community and becoming a city organization.
W
William Foley6:37
We really are. We're trying to emulate other successful teams like Tampa, Nashville, the Ducks, the Kings. They came to town, started building ice rinks, developing youth hockey, and built their fan base that way. That's our long-term plan. Fifteen years from now, there should be 12 or 14 sheets of ice around this valley.
I
Interviewer7:04
You have to create those ponds you had in Idaho here in the desert.
W
William Foley7:07
Absolutely, in a different way. A lot of this is educational. My wife is the same way – she knew nothing about hockey. But when we watched games, she'd ask, 'Explain offsides, what's icing, what's hooking the net?' By the time we got through the Penguins and Nashville through the Stanley Cup, she was screaming for the Penguins. She loved it.
I
Interviewer7:53
If you were to describe the characterization of the Las Vegas Golden Knights team you're anticipating, how would you describe it?
W
William Foley8:05
We're going to have a team of character. A team that never gives up and never gives in. That's why I was so focused on being the Knight, the protector of the unprotected. I like the name Golden Knights because Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the country. We worked hard on the logo – the shield and helmet emulating power, loyalty, valor, duty. Our players will be great on the ice, but the people we draft are all men of character. They'll be in the community. If they're on the news doing something wrong, they won't be here long. Hockey players are soldiers.
I
Interviewer9:01
Talk about some of the people you've already hired. George McPhee – what was it about George that attracted you?
W
William Foley9:08
He typifies the type of individual we want. He's a lawyer, ex-hockey player, a fighter – small guy but a fighter. He's organized, diligent, honest, trustworthy. Other GMs know they can trust him. He's hired people of character around him – scouts, assistant GM, director of player personnel. Everyone wondered what the ownership would be like. I've tried to be involved from day one so they know I care. I'm all in, and now these guys are all in. We're having a really good time. He came from a successful franchise in Washington – 17 years as GM. He rebuilt the Capitals, starting with Alexander Ovechkin. He drafted great players, and five, six, seven years later they were contenders. They just got unlucky breaks with where the puck went. But they've dominated the NHL the last two years in total points. They've got four or five unrestricted free agents, so they may have had their chance. We're going younger, building from the ground up.
I
Interviewer11:14
And Murray Craven?
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William Foley11:16
He's a buddy of mine from Whitefish. We played golf together. He's a real solid guy, 16 or 17 years in the NHL, practical, street smart. Our guys are non-ego based, based on winning and putting a team together. Murray typifies that.
I
Interviewer11:39
How are we set with our TV deal? I know we have a deal with a company that's not really a Las Vegas company, more of a regional TV provider.
W
William Foley11:51
They're working on that. Our market area is Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Eastern California, Northwestern Arizona. They'll put us on DirecTV in all those markets. In rural areas where it's satellite, we'll be the team of the Rockies. That's my goal. They'll work hard on Cox and Dish. I have confidence in Root Sports. As for radio, it's important for exposure. Our radio partner is helping us get on air in Salt Lake and Reno.
I
Interviewer13:08
So look, a year from now, fast forward, you're looking back. What would be a successful year for you?
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William Foley13:20
A competitive team on the ice, developing our youth hockey program in town. I don't want to overstate what we can be in the first couple of years. We're building. But we should be a 70-point team. That would be my target. If we can do that the first year, that's pretty successful.
I
Interviewer13:43
And community exposure, attendance at the arena?
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William Foley13:48
We want to sell out every game. We're sold out in season tickets. When the Rangers or Blackhawks come to town, we'll be selling. Casinos love that. People from New York and Chicago come, catch a game, gamble, stay over. It keeps hotel rooms full. We have great casino partnerships.
I
Interviewer14:23
Hey, I look forward to coming out to the practice arena and doing some taping as soon as you're open.
W
William Foley14:29
Great, that'd be great. Thank you so much. Thanks, good luck.
I
Interviewer14:38
Hi, welcome to our show. I am really excited today. Our general manager of our new Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey team, George McPhee, is here. I'm so thrilled to have you on the show.
G
George McPhee14:51
Good to be here.
I
Interviewer14:52
We have been waiting for a professional sports team. I've lived here for 40 years. Where have you been, George?
G
George McPhee15:01
Training to come here.
I
Interviewer15:04
You've been very successful at training to come here, having come from the Washington Capitals. You did incredible work there.
G
George McPhee15:17
I made Washington one of the most powerful teams in the NHL. Proud of that. When we went there, Washington had 2,900 season tickets, not a lot of interest or games on television. When we left, they'd been sold out for every game for six straight years. It's a heck of a team and a real good hockey town.
I
Interviewer15:37
So what is the trick to getting a new city like Las Vegas, which has had very minor hockey clubs, to be enthusiastic about NHL hockey, when so many residents are not familiar with hockey at all?
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George McPhee15:56
We already have a lot of enthusiasm. We're close to 14,000 season tickets, which is amazing. A lot of people will come initially out of novelty, to watch the sport and try to understand it. The in-arena experience of hockey is unlike most other sports. For the first few years, we'll have a lot of people coming to understand it. As our team improves and becomes a contender, people will follow us because they like us and enjoy the game.
I
Interviewer16:55
I wanted to ask you about your background. You obviously grew up in the hockey world in Canada.
G
George McPhee17:02
I was fortunate to grow up in Southern Ontario. We played a lot of hockey. I didn't think I was good enough to be a pro, so I went to Bowling Green, played four years, graduated. I turned pro with the New York Rangers, played with them and a little with the Devils, retired after seven years due to injury. I went to law school, got my degree, then took a job with the Vancouver Canucks as assistant GM.
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Interviewer17:45
You mentioned being injured. It seems like nobody gets through a game without some injury.
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George McPhee17:52
There are bumps and bruises, and then there are things that knock you out. I got hit against the boards, someone came from another direction, hit me hard, and I tore the groin muscle off the bone on my right leg. It was painful, but more debilitating – I couldn't control it. It took forever to rehab and never really came around. I played a few more games, and that was it.
I
Interviewer18:29
Did you ever play in the Stanley Cup with any of those teams?
G
George McPhee18:34
Farthest we got was the third round against Montreal one year with the Rangers, and third round with the Devils one year. But I've been to the finals twice – my first year in Washington as manager we went against Detroit, and in '94 as assistant GM in Vancouver we went against the Rangers. We didn't win either. I'm hoping the third time is here, and we win.
I
Interviewer19:11
Can you imagine what would happen if you won the Stanley Cup? I grew up in Philadelphia. When they won the first time, it had a huge impact – the whole city went from losers to proud and confident.
G
George McPhee19:35
I've sensed that same civic pride here. Las Vegas has its first professional team, people are proud. We're a team born and raised here – this is our city.
I
Interviewer19:57
How did you get this job? You were coaching in Washington, then got a deal with the Islanders.
G
George McPhee20:06
I managed the Capitals for 17 years. It was time for a change – ownership wanted a change, I wanted a change. It can be too long in one place, especially Washington DC. These are demanding jobs, and sometimes you need to step back. I worked as a consultant for a couple of years. I didn't need the Vegas job – my life is comfortable, my wife would be fine if I never worked again. But I really wanted this. I haven't won the Stanley Cup. I'd love to do that with a new team, build it from the ground up. My objective is to win a Stanley Cup, not just put a good team on the ice.
I
Interviewer21:09
What does a general manager do? How does he or she interact with the owner and a coach?
G
George McPhee21:23
The manager hires everyone on the hockey side – coaching staff, amateur and pro scouting, medical department. Then runs the day-to-day operation, traveling with the team, being at practices, being the buffer between and coach, and the one guy the owner can talk to every day. Bill has allowed me to be part of the business side too, which has been a great education.
I
Interviewer22:18
We were talking about the size of players and how the game is changing. Speed is so important, goaltenders are getting bigger. Some of these players are so big on the ice.
G
George McPhee22:38
They are genetically gifted athletes. Years ago, most players came from Canada and a few from the US. Now half come from Canada, 25-30% from the US, and we take players from Europe. We're getting the cream of the crop.
I
Interviewer23:22
What's the best way to educate Southern Nevadans about hockey? My wife knew nothing until I became a fan and explained offsides, icing.
G
George McPhee23:41
You could go online and read the rules, but the most important thing is to go to a game. Once you're in the arena and understand the speed, the size, the intensity, the physicality, you'll appreciate it. When you watch on TV, you'll understand it better. At the game you see the puck; on TV, if you know the game, you know where it is by the players' reactions.
I
Interviewer24:26
What do you think of our arena, T-Mobile?
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George McPhee24:32
Fantastic. It's among the top three in the league, could be the best. The people who built it have experience around the league, and they get better every time. This one is perfectly designed for hockey – right capacity, sight lines, acoustics, lighting, the Plaza out front. The location in the middle of the tourist corridor is brilliant.
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Interviewer25:29
If I'm a hockey fan from Chicago and the Blackhawks come to play the Golden Knights, it'll be an exciting adventure. You'll work with casinos to create opportunities for gamblers and tourists to spend a weekend.
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George McPhee25:49
When we bought our house, the broker said make sure you get extra bedrooms because everybody wants to visit. I'm sure lots of people in Detroit, Chicago, Philly will think, 'Our team is playing in Vegas in January, we should go for the weekend.' Hopefully we'll take their money and the two points from the game. We'll get to a point where we're sold out and some folks won't be able to get in, which means all our fans will be there. That's fine with me.
I
Interviewer26:26
Do you still skate? Still work out?
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George McPhee26:33
I work out. You've got to stay fit. I haven't played a lot of hockey. I've gone out with my kids a little, and scrimmaged a couple of years ago with our scouts. I really enjoyed that. Hopefully we can get that going in Vegas. It's like tennis – you can play it for a lifetime.
I
Interviewer27:02
Your son is playing hockey.
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George McPhee27:04
My son is at Boston College, a freshman. The coach I played for at Bowling Green has been at BC for 25 years. Jerry York, the winningest coach in history. I feel really lucky my son is in his hands.
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Interviewer27:33
Would you want your son to be in the NHL eventually?
G
George McPhee27:38
That's certainly his dream. My commitment is you go to college, play four years, graduate, then whatever you want to do is up to you. And wear a mouth guard.
I
Interviewer27:50
Thank you so much. You got to come back. This is incredible.