U.S. Army's "War" With the Las Vegas Knights

I must admit, I am a fairly casual hockey fan.  However, the Las Vegas Golden Knights caught my attention when they catapulted to the top of their division (they currently hold a ten point lead over the second place team) as an extension franchise.  For those of you who are unaware, the Las Vegas team is in its first year ever.  The general rule is that new franchises usually do not perform at a high level--they usually are the team that every other team in the league beats quite easily.  New franchises usually flounder for the first couple/few years of their existence.  But, not the Las Vegas Golden Knights.  They hold the best home record in the league, are among the top six teams in goals, and are successful when going into overtime. 

For reference, the Minnesota Wild only won 25 games in their first season.  It took the Wild three seasons to make the playoffs.  The Columbus Blue Jackets only won 28 games in their inaugural season.  It took the Blue Jackets nine seasons to make the playoffs.  Currently, the Las Vegas Nights have won 39 games this season.  They are tops of the Western Conference and look to be a shoo-in for making the playoffs. 

Yet, they have found themselves embroiled in a fight with the United States Army.  The Army opposes the Knights' trademark application to register "Vegas Golden Knights." Apparently, the "Golden Knights" is a nickname used by the Army since the 1960s for its parachute team, its public relations, and recruiting.  In addition, the Army claims that it has common law trademark rights in the black/gold and yellow/white color schemes which are the colors of the Las Vegas Knights.  As I understand it, both sides were aggressively fighting the other.  At stake for the Las Vegas Golden Knights would be that they would have to change their name and, potentially, their color scheme.  Given the amount of time, effort, and resources expended by the team to build their brand, that would be a huge set back. That is probably why the hockey team filed a settlement motion with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board yesterday.  The settlement motion seeks to work out a deal where both sides can continue to use their respective marks. 

Even if the Army and the Las Vegas Golden Knights can reach an agreement, the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York is lurking.  Their nickname is the "Golden Knights."  The College filed a request for an extension to oppose the hockey team's trademark application which means that they may decide to deny the hockey team the right to the mark--as did the Army.