LAS VEGAS (AP) — Owner Ryan Smith's infectious passionthe excitement of adding two centers in the first round of the NHL draft, or the new blue suit, tie, and Utah Hockey Club General manager Bill Armstrong woke up in high spirits Saturday with a pin badge on his lapel.
“This morning, I woke up after about two minutes of sleep and I was like, 'I'm going to shock the world,'” Armstrong said.
It may come as a shock to you, but the NHL's newest market is in Salt Lake City. Arizona Coyotes relocate Their presence was evident on the second and final day of the seven-round draft held at the Sphere in April.
Utah picks just 10th in the second round. Two transactions completed within minutes of each other The team addressed their defensive needs with veteran additions, first with the big acquisition of two-time Stanley Cup champion Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay, followed by John Marino from New Jersey.
“In year four, rebuilding and coming back from a complete collapse, I don't know if we can get there,” Armstrong said of how close Utah came to winning, “but it's a step in the right direction.”
The team selected 13 players in the draft, and Armstrong remained true to his intention of using some of them as assets. Forward Tiji Iginla Armstrong drafted the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla sixth overall, then traded three picks to Colorado to move up 14 spots and select center Cole Beaudoin 24th.
The constraints for Armstrong in Arizona were: Former Coyotes owner Alex Merullo The award was presented to Smith, 46, who made his fortune in technology and is now transforming Utah sports as owner of the NBA Jazz, MLS team Real Salt Lake and leading the state's bid to host the 2034 Winter Olympics.
Smith all but predicted Utah would take a more aggressive approach the day before when asked to assess the team's timeline for a gradual rebuild.
“We're comfortable with where we are,” Smith said, “so we're constantly checking in on that. That's the plan until it's not the plan.”
The next day, Armstrong's plans clearly shifted to the highway.
A murmur spread through the crowd when NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced the Sergachev trade early in the second round, in which Utah sent defenseman J.J. Moser, prospect forward Connor Geekie, a 2025 second-round pick and the 199th pick in this year's draft.
Daly returned to the microphone shortly afterward to let fans and hockey folks know that Utah isn't done yet, acquiring Marino and the 153rd pick from the Devils in exchange for No. 49 and Edmonton's 2025 second-round pick.
“It's not easy to let go of a 26-year-old No. 1 defenseman who's won two Stanley Cups,” Lightning general manager Julien Brisbois said. “Kudos to Bill Armstrong and the Utah team for acquiring such a great young player.”
The Lightning, a team in the midst of a rebuild three seasons after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, relieved $8.5 million in salary-cap burden per year by trading Sergachev, who is under contract through 2031, and also sent forward Tanner Jeannotte to Los Angeles.
And that Lightning expected to lose captain Steven StamkosBriseBois and his agent, Don Meehan, confirmed Saturday that he is set to become a free agent on Monday.
Overall, 22 trades involving 15 players and 52 draft picks were made on Day 2 of the draft.
The Washington Capitals acquired goaltender Logan Thompson from Vegas and traded fourth-line winger Beck Malenstein to Buffalo, while Pittsburgh acquired forward Kevin Hayes and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from St. Louis for the future.
The Toronto Maple Leafs gave up a 2026 seventh-round pick to acquire defenceman Chris Tanev from Dallas, and the team is confident they can sign the 15th-year player before he hits free agency.
Smith and Armstrong warned they won't get overspending when free agency opens on Monday, but that doesn't mean they won't strengthen their team in other ways over the two-day draft weekend.
In Arizona, the Coyotes were known for being in constant rebuilding mode, having made the playoffs just once in the past 12 years and moving from one arena to the next, eventually relocating north.
It's a whole new world in Utah: The so-called “hockey club” (for this season) has already collected deposits for 30,000 season tickets for the basketball-only facility, the Delta Center, which has 16,200 seats for hockey, not all of which directly face the ice. A permanent name is coming By 2025-26, there are six possibilities: Utah HC, Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom and Yeti.
“We're the youngest state (demographically) and we're also the fastest growing state, so looking at both of those metrics, I think the NHL can say, 'Wow, it looks like we made the right decision,'” Smith said.
For Smith, it's a matter of balancing passion with perseverance.
“You're constantly juggling opposing emotions. You want to win now, but you also want to win for the long term, and you want to create this culture,” he said. “But we're still young and the future is really bright.”
It will get even brighter after this weekend.
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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