The Utah NHL team had a whirlwind of a first day in their home.
Players and their families, coaches and other staff members landed at Salt Lake City Airport at around 10:30 a.m. and received an uproarious reception from hundreds of youth hockey players.
They went to their hotel for a while, then toured Zions Bank Basketball Campus and the Delta Center, where they’ll start play later this year as a new hockey franchise.
So that’s super exciting.” General manager Bill Armstrong said a seed may have been planted for the players Wednesday as they got to see the Delta Center, and what facilities the Utah Jazz have at their disposal.
You couldn’t design a better building for us.” At a free, public Delta Center event, with a reported 12,400 fans attending, the Utah NHL team saw what it could actually be like to play in Salt Lake City.
The emotions of the day were so powerful, it may have been one of the defining moments of his life.
“It will be my seventh year in the NHL,” Tourigny said.
“Now we want to write our own story and make it a wonderful story in Utah,” Tourigny said.
The first day of the Utah NHL team’s home was extremely hectic.
At about 10:30 a.m., coaches, players, and other staff members touched down at Salt Lake City Airport. me. and was met with a boisterous reception by hundreds of young hockey players. After spending some time at their hotel, they visited the Zions Bank Basketball Campus and the Delta Center, where they will begin play as a new hockey team later this year.
It appeared as though they were already picturing what it would be like to play there when they saw the ice on the arena, the layout of the seats, and everything in between.
Clayton Keller, a right winger, said, “It looks unbelievable.”. The seats are sort of right on top of you, which makes it kind of unique. According to everything we’ve heard, the building is constantly very noisy. The Jazz have sold out 250 times in a row. That is very exciting. “.
After showing the players around the Delta Center and the facilities the Utah Jazz have available, general manager Bill Armstrong speculated that a seed may have been sown.
They’re ecstatic, according to Armstrong. The fans’ and everyone’s enthusiasm excites them. dot. They were thrilled to see the rink today.
Armstrong went on, “We want to rev it up in here.”. “Our goal is to make this building the loudest in the NHL.”. We have a chance because of that building up there. The structure and inclination of the hill. There’s no better building that you could create for us. “.
The Utah NHL team experienced what it might be like to play in Salt Lake City at a public, free event held at Delta Center that reportedly drew 12,400 spectators.
Like the moment they walked onto the Delta Center ice and saw hundreds of yelling children when they entered the airplane hangar, so did the players, their families, and staff members. Subsequently, they all claimed a chair on stage and gave the audience an introduction.
When they did, though, it went beyond just stating their name, job title, and hometown. They enjoyed a little fun as well as thanking the audience for their enthusiasm and fervor.
Forward Liam O’Brien yelled into the microphone, “How we doin’, guys? Let’s go!”. Liam O’Brien is my name. I’m known as Spicy Tuna to you guys. His teammates burst into giggles as the throng grew even louder. A short while afterward, center Jack McBain led the throng in chanting “Spicy Tuna.”.
Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, and Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy were present at the function.
Coach André Tourigny had asked a child at the airport to sign his hoodie earlier in the day. Given how intense the feelings were that day, it’s possible that it was one of his life’s turning points.
Tourigny stated, “It will be my seventh year in the NHL.”. “I told my wife that I believed this to be my best NHL day to date. ‘”.
“Being sad to think I have to wait four or five months to get back,” was Tourigny’s initial thought upon arriving at the arena. The group is scheduled to return to Salt Lake City on August. 1 in order to get ready for its first season.
Tourigny stated, “We want to write our own story and make it a wonderful story in Utah now.”.
