Vegas Golden Knights Senior Graphic Designers Veronica Carpenter and Stephanie Suominen bring the team’s brand to life on a daily basis. Through social media graphics, jersey designs, logo creations and many other art-related avenues, Carpenter and Suominen are part of the team that helps the Golden Knights paint the town gold.
Carpenter is the Senior Motions Graphic Designer for the Golden Knights. She deals with both motion design, such as goal graphics seen on social media, and graphic design, such as jerseys and marketing campaigns. Fans can also see her work on animations the Las Vegas Strip.
Carpenter’s path didn’t start in graphic design. She started college as a classically trained dancer for a dance school. Growing up, Carpenter always believed she would be a dancer. But when she switched to the college’s arts program, she found another love for a different kind of movement art.
“I never thought being a graphic designer would be my career. I always thought I would be a dancer, but then, looking at things and trying to see what really makes me happy was art. I was just finding a different medium. I feel blessed in this role,” Carpenter said. “The background of dance really helps with motion design because you have a certain sense of movement which is exciting.”
Carpenter has created designs such as the Henderson Silver Knights ‘Pink in the Rink’ 2023 Hockey Fights Cancer logo which featured a pink butterfly to honor those battling breast cancer. The design was to honor her mother, a survivor of breast cancer. Her mother’s courage inspires Carpenter in her work and in her daily life.
“Be brave, do things that you may not think you can do, and be confident in your work,” Carpenter said.
Most recently, Carpenter created the Women’s History Month logo in 2025 for the Golden Knights to reflect women’s strength and spirit of innovation. The logo can be seen in graphics throughout the month as the Golden Knights honor women in the organization. The logo was inspired by American traditional tattoos where the heart symbolizes love and passion, and the roses show beauty and love. The historical context behind the “Mom Tattoo” is evident in the logo as it shows the rebellion against societal norms, for example, being a woman in sports. The logo represents the resilience of women and how “it hurts to win”.
Throughout her time with the Golden Knights, Carpenter has had great success because her surrounding environment has allowed her the creative freedom to be herself and have plenty of room to grow.
“My favorite thing about the Golden Knights organization is there is room to be creative artistically and feeling support to do so, which is wonderful,” Carpenter said. “Something I’m most proud of is, as an artist, you want to look back on your art and see that you’ve grown, and that’s something I’m very proud of every year. I feel like I’ve pushed the envelope, raised the bar, and I feel like I’m growing with the brand, and that’s exciting.”
The closest relationship Carpenter has in the organization is her trusted teammate, Stephanie Suominen. The duo started one week apart in 2020 as junior graphic designers and have been inseparable ever since.
“I always feel like someone is in my corner. Having someone close that roots for me and wants to help me. I do the same for her. We’re not afraid to talk to each other about any questions we have,” Carpenter said. “I feel like I’m always learning from her too. Something I really like is that when things are conceptual in the start, we would bounce ideas off each other. I wouldn’t say my designs are just me alone. I feel really connected to Stephanie.”
Suominen works as the Senior Graphic Designer for the Golden Knights. Her role includes working on projects such as promotional items, rally towels, and jersey designs. She helps bring the dazzling designs that add to any game day experience for fans. Her work on LosVGK is her biggest and proudest initiative. After working countless hours to make it perfect, LosVGK, a brand created to recognize the team’s Spanish-speaking fanbase, was announced in October 2023.
“When it came to making the logo and brand identity, I wanted to be able to create something that captures the liveliness and beauty of the Hispanic and Latino communities all while being able to represent hockey,” Suominen said. “So, I created the logo and brand to have a fusion of hockey, Vegas Golden Knights, and textiles inspired by the Hispanic community.”
Suominen had to grind to get where she is today. Her dream was to always work in the graphic design industry. When she came across a job posting for the Golden Knights Junior Graphic Designer, she knew in her heart this was the fit for her. Suominen has enjoyed working in an environment where teamwork is at the core of every assignment.
“I love working with Veronica. Being able to brainstorm with her or even ask for her perspective on some projects is something I appreciate being able to do so naturally with her,” Suominen said. “She’s very creative and talented, and I’m so lucky to be able to work with someone so incredible.”
Similar to Carpenter, Suominen strives to empower other woman to work in sports. She wants to break the stereotypes while motivating others to go after their dreams, no matter how far-fetched they seem.
“Never stop learning. Take pride in what you do, and don’t let anyone say you can’t do something,” Suominen said. “Most importantly, make sure you enjoy and love what you do. Life is way too short not to.”
Together, Carpenter and Suominen continue to forge a path as women in sports in the field of graphic design. The emphasis they put on teamwork plays into the hockey mantra that places more importance on the logo on the front of the jersey than the name on the back. Carpenter and Suominen will be part of a group of women in sports who will be celebrated during Women’s History Knight on Friday at T-Mobile Arena.
