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Michigan State alumnus behind crazy animations at Las Vegas hockey games

By and Jack Nissen
Published  May 11, 2023 6:47am EDT
Michigan State Spartans
FOX 2 Detroit

MSU alum behind Vegas Golden Knight visuals

The beginning of many of the Las Vegas Golden Knight hockey games come with a special treat for all who attend: an animated show that plays out on the ice rink. The displays are partly in thanks to MSU Alumni Patrick Ruhlig.

(FOX 2) - A fighter jet rests on the ice as a dragon bursts from underground. After a roar in front of the crowd, it unleashes a blaze that torches the plane to a crisp. 

From there, another scream before the dragon bats its wings. 

This show isn't playing out in a fantasy TV show. Instead, it's the pre-game animation at the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey arena. With the NHL playoffs underway and the Knights making another run into the postseason.

The Detroit Red Wings may not be playing with them, but Michigan still has a strong presence in the field: Patrick Ruhlig.

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Ruhlig graduated from Michigan State University and is the man behind the impressive display. As senior manager of video production for Vegas Golden Knights, he and his crew create stunning visuals from displays on the ice to documentary-style deep dives on the players.

"Being in this live world sitting there, and you're looking and there's 18,000 people and they're all reacting to the video that not necessarily I did but the team I work with did and to see them go crazy over this video and this experience we're giving them is such a rewarding thing," said Ruhlig. 

While the live stage is already a big one, it doesn't get much bigger than the playoffs where Vegas is tied 2-2 with the Edmonton Oilers.