LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The action in the Stanley Cup Final is on the ice, but FOX5 is spotlighting the people who help set the stage inside The Fortress.
In interviews from Toshiba Plaza and inside T-Mobile Arena, FOX5 spoke with several members of the Vegas Golden Knights’ in-game entertainment team — the hype voices, hosts and performers fans see and hear at every home game.
Mark Shunock, the team’s on-ice host and hype man, returned to Las Vegas just in time for Game 4 after traveling overseas for his work with WWE.
He told FOX5 he flew back from Bologna, Italy, landing in Las Vegas only hours before heading straight to the arena.
Shunock also recounted an unusual souvenir from his trip: a custom Golden Knights jersey made for Pope Leo XIV. Shunock said he and his wife arrived in Rome early to visit the Vatican and attended a papal Mass after winning a lottery for tickets.
He said he brought the jersey to the event, made his way to the barricade and waved it as the pope passed.
According to Shunock, the pope acknowledged him and his security detail stopped to accept the jersey. “What a moment,” he told FOX5, calling it something he will remember for the rest of his life.
FOX5 also caught up with Carnell “Golden Pipes” Johnson, the Las Vegas native whose national anthem performances have become part of the Golden Knights’ home-game identity.
Johnson told FOX5 he doesn’t change his routine much for the Final but tries to bring extra energy when the spotlight is bigger. He and FOX5’s Sam Argier also shared a personal connection, recalling their time singing in choir together at local schools.
Outside on the plaza, FOX5 interviewed in-arena host Katie Marie Jones as fans filled Toshiba Plaza before puck drop.
Jones described the “March to the Fortress,” the pregame parade that winds through the Las Vegas Strip before the cast enters the arena. She credited the Knights’ fan base for keeping the atmosphere loud and said the entertainment and live music on the plaza help build energy before the game begins.
With Las Vegas two wins from another championship, the familiar voices and faces of the Fortress are working overtime — and FOX5 is bringing viewers behind the scenes of the show that has become a signature part of Golden Knights hockey.
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