If attendance numbers for Wednesday's game for Utah's new National Hockey League team are any indication of interest in local hockey, Salt Lake City could become a thriving market for another big league franchise. And not only are the fans excited about the club, former Arizona Coyotes coaches and players say they are just as enthusiastic.
More than 12,400 people flooded the Delta Center, with hundreds or even thousands more gathering on the concourse and outside to celebrate the arrival of the yet-to-be-named Utah State Hockey Club. Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy and stars Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson greeted the players before they took the stage for introductions. Many fans wore their favorite NHL team's jerseys and filled the arena as if it were a Jazz playoff game, and players said they hope to hear that cheer when the first season begins in the fall.
“We're really looking forward to this being the loudest building in the NHL,” said general manager Bill Armstrong, with deafening “Utah, Utah, Utah” chants and rhythmic “Utah” chants. Let's go, Utah,'' he told the crowd.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of youth hockey players and their parents met the team at Salt Lake City's Signature Aviation Airport. The young skaters wore their team's sweaters and chanted the infamous arena-wide chants such as, “I skipped school to come here,” “I'm a goalie too,” and even, “Actually, Salt Lake is shit.” They held placards with messages such as “No.” in the Coyotes' final game before relocating to the Beehive State.
Players and coaches said they were overcome with emotion at the scene. Armstrong said he had tears in his eyes.
There's another bear in town
“This is my seventh year in the NHL, and I told my wife I think this is the best day I've ever had in the NHL,” Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny said at a press conference before the festivities.
Tourigny, known by his nickname “Bear,” compiled a record of 89 wins, 131 losses, and 26 losses in three years as the Coyotes' coach. The team has improved each year, but last season they missed the playoffs for the 11th time in the past 12 years. Before taking over the Coyotes in 2021, he was an assistant with the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche. He led Team Canada to gold at the 2023 World Championships.
“We know we have a lot of work to do over the summer to get everything in place, but everyone is working hard. Everyone is working hard,” Tourigny said. “We want to write our story and make it a great Utah story.”
Players described Tourigny as a passionate coach and a good teacher of the game. They called him an “honest” man on and off the ice, someone the entire team respects. It was also mentioned several times during his press conference that he loves riding motorcycles.
Build a fan base
The Jazz took several years to find their footing after relocating from New Orleans in 1979. The team's form was not good, and the old Salt Palace arena was rarely full in the early stages. Once the Jazz started winning, the momentum shifted. But hockey appears poised to ramp up quickly, with 29,000 people already having season ticket reservations for the arena, which seats about 16,000 for hockey.
“Don't stop,” owner Ryan Smith told the crowd. “We want everyone in Utah to have a taste of hockey.”
Of course, a win will keep fans coming to the games. And while players and coaches believe they have a playoff-caliber team, expectations aren't that high, at least initially.
Tourigny said that in meetings with the team last week, Ryan and Ashley Smith spent 90 percent of their time talking about their love for Utah and how much they care about and want to empower people. “And the last 10% said, 'We're going to win.' We don't know when, but we're going to win.”
Wearing an Anaheim Ducks jersey and a Ducks tattoo on his arm, Greg Smaldino of Syracuse, Utah, and his young son were among the crowd at the plaza.
“I've always been a fan,” he said, adding that the Ducks were born in 1993, the same year he was born. “So it's ingrained in me. My wife and I have three kids, and we want them to have the same experience. …When we get to opening night and the fans come together… I’m looking forward to seeing it come.”
Smaldino said he doesn't know much about the former Coyotes, but considers them to be an up-and-coming team with some of the best prospects in the NHL.
“Unfortunately for Arizona, and fortunately for us, I think we'll be able to at least be competitive in the next few years, probably next season,” he said.
on the ice
The club has 20 picks in stock in the first three rounds of the next three NHL drafts.
Armstrong, who served as assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting when the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019, said Utah is a young but talented team in its fourth year of rebuilding. He said this team won't be a Stanley Cup favorite next season because it's not a perfect team.
“What the fans will get from this team is an exciting young team that can score goals,” he said, adding that the Coyotes had six players who scored 20 goals this year. “When you're that young, there's a consistency where you can't be great every night. But I think the fans will like the fact that we have talented players…first and second.”
Clayton Keller, a four-time NHL All-Star and drafted by the Coyotes in the first round in 2016, has led the team in scoring the past three seasons. The right wing led the team in goals (33) and assists (43) in 2023-24, totaling 76 points and was named team MVP.
“We have great young players and a great staff,” he said while speaking to the media. “I think it's really exciting to be here and see everyone's support. We're going to play hard for them every night.”
Left wing Lawson Crouse, whose physical play earned him the nickname “Sheriff” among teammates and fans, said the team takes pride in building the right culture in Arizona.
“Now we're going to bring it here. We love each other in the locker room,” he told reporters. “We're very proud to be here. We're really looking forward to it.”
Keller said it takes time to learn how to win in the league. “I think when everyone agrees, that’s when we can take some steps and get to the next level,” he said.
Crouse said the team is looking forward to building something special and “making history” in Utah.
welcome to utah
Clouse and Keller said they didn't know much about Utah before arriving there. Keller said he came to Salt Lake City for his birthday last summer to watch a UFC fight. Claus said it was his first time in the state and he was “blown away” by the mountains. He says snow reminds him of his childhood in Canada.
Armstrong said the Smiths' arrival at Arizona shortly after the deal was finalized brought a great sense of purpose and calm to the team before a “surreal” reception in Utah. “It tugs at your heart. We're grateful for that,” he said. “I don't think there's a player that's come here that doesn't have an emotion about the way they feel when they see the fans here and how excited they are to play us in Utah.”
Tourigny said everything was “excellent, first class and done with a lot of enthusiasm.” I already felt like I was at home. We already want to fight for Utah. I'm freaking out right now. ”
