LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – He had no idea at the time, but shortly after the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup, Las Vegas photographer Al Powers snapped an indelible and symbolic image of the team celebrating the historic win.

Powers took thousands of pictures that night, knowing it was his job to capture the magnitude and emotion of the moment. But seeing VGK come together in the shape of a heart was unexpected and his image was unplanned.

“I had to scroll back,” Powers said of combing through his photographs. “Is that a heart? Oh my god, it is a heart.”

High above the ice, Powers had set up a remote camera. But the incredible image almost didn’t happen.

“Earlier in the game, I had a problem with the camera,” Powers explained. “The battery died.”

During the first intermission, he ran up and rectified the situation. An exhausted Powers posted the image on Instagram after the game and went to bed. By the time he awoke, his “Golden Heart” image was being shared everywhere.

““I love the fact that one moment in time can speak to people,” Powers said. “It spoke to me. I had no idea it would be this crazy.”

Powers has been photographing the team since day one, and he noted that the heartfelt bond between the team and the city was truly Vegas Born.

If you are a VGK fan that teared up at the sight of the image, you’re in good company—including the photographer himself.

“One of the perfect moments in time,” he recalled. “Glad someone captured it. Just happened to be me.”

You can see more of his work here.

Copyright 2023 KVVU. All rights reserved.