The Professional Women’s Hockey League awarded Las Vegas an expansion team a year after the initial seed was planted by the Golden Knights. Amy Sheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations, said she was contacted via LinkedIn last year by Sheri Hudpeth, director of youth hockey programs and fan engagement for the Golden Knights to hold a PWHL Takeover — a neutral site game in a city without a team — in Las Vegas. While the takeover event never transpired, the initial contact got the ball rolling toward expanding to Southern Nevada, Sheer said. “We had some initial conversations and then started again several months ago with (Golden Knights president of business operations) John (Penhollow), so it happened fast,” Sheer said Wednesday.…