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Bryce Harper is more hype about the Golden Knights than anyone you know

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 23: Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper waves to the crowd before dropping the ceremonial puck before a game between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on December 23, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 23: Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper waves to the crowd before dropping the ceremonial puck before a game between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on December 23, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)

Bryce Harper is off to a hot start in the 2018 MLB season — and his Vegas Golden Knights are continuing their hot start in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Imagine that for your entire life, your hometown was without a major league sports franchise. Imagine even further that, growing up in this town, you yourself were quite a remarkable player pegged to be headed for the big leagues.

That’s what life was like growing up in Las Vegas for Bryce Harper, who was a baseball phenom from a town with no major league sports franchises for him to root for.

Harper may now be swinging his bat for the Washington Nationals, but finally, 24 years later, he has a major league hometown team to root for in the Vegas Golden Knights.

And given how long he had to wait, it’s no surprise that he’s gone all-in.

When Harper had the Golden Knights’ logo affixed to his bat, we celebrated his fandom. But the truth of the matter is that not only is Harper a bigger Golden Knights fan that we might have guessed…he might be the biggest one you know.

When the Golden Knights opened their second-round series against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, those who follow Harper on Instagram were treated to quite the display of his fandom, immortalized forever in this screenshot:

While it’s awesome that Harper is sporting a playoff beard when he’s not currently participating in a postseason bid, it’s really the ā€œplayoff helmetā€ that sends this whole thing over the edge.

We like to think that he kept it on for the entire game, thereby protecting his (million-dollar) head if any of the Golden Knights’ seven goals caused him to jump up suddenly and hit his head on the ceiling.

Next: 10 reasons Stanley Cup Playoffs are better than NBA Playoffs

Show us a bigger Golden Knights fan than Harper. If it’s you, prove it on Twitter: @FanSidedNHL.

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