- Slug: Sports–Utah Hockey Club Reax, 1,900 words.
- 2 photos available.
By Chase Beardsley
Cronkite News
SALT LAKE CITY – Rally towels, singer Shaboozey and slushie-drinking contests. All were features of the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural game at the Delta Center, marking the NHL’s first regular-season game in Salt Lake City. While the team let the local fans go home happy, winning 5-2 over the Chicago Blackhawks, reminders of where the franchise was a year ago were everywhere.
Forward Dylan Guenther got the crowd on their feet early Tuesday night, just 4:56 into the game. The young Edmonton native scored the first-ever goal in Utah franchise history and more than likely, found a spot in Utah fans’ hearts as well after scoring a second goal late in the third period.
Guenther was once in the hearts of Arizona Coyotes fans. After the team selected him ninth overall in 2021, the forward had 50 points in 78 games across two seasons. He was expected to be a pillar of success for the franchise’s future ambitions. Now, he’s the property of Utah, looking to help it make the playoffs.
“You never would have guessed we’d be here,” Guenther said. “I was playing in the American League last year, so new city, new state, playing in the NHL. It’s kind of just everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Forward Logan Cooley was another young player who was supposed to be a vital part of the future of the Coyotes. Selected third overall in 2022, the Pittsburgh native scored 44 points in 82 games last season. Before the game against the Blackhawks, he called it the most excited he’s been for a hockey game. After the game in which he scored two points, Cooley was impressed with the fans, calling it the loudest building he has ever experienced, suggesting it reminded him of a playoff environment.
“Even during the summertime, when you’re watching playoff games, you see how crazy the fans kind of are,” Cooley said. “You kind of felt that same energy during the last minute of the game. To see all the towels going, it’s pretty special to be a part of.”
Qualtratics co-founder Ryan Smith, who owns the Utah Hockey Club and the NBA’s Utah Jazz, went all out for opening night. An outdoor festival with food trucks and games kicked off the all-day event. Inside the arena, all sorts of merchandise were available. The team also sold $2 and $3 concession items that were available on the “Mountain Menu.”
In the end, the experience was a success. Merchandise sales doubled the previous record set during any sporting event at Delta Center. More than 7,400 “Mountain Menu” items were sold. Even beer, which in Utah is monitored heavily thanks to the state’s strict alcohol laws, was flying off shelves. Over $120,000 worth of beer was sold, more than any NHL or NBA event held at the arena.
Attendance was just as impressive. The arena’s typical hockey capacity is 11,131 due to limited-view seats in the building. However, 16,020 fans packed the arena and participated in Jumbotron beer chuggings, chanting “Spicy Tuna” and “Durzi” after forward Liam O’Brien and defenseman Sean Durzi had physical altercations with Blackhawks players, and maybe most on brand for Utah: slushie drinking contests.
Even NBA players from the Jazz witnessed the historic event. Jazz power forward and former University of Arizona player Lauri Markkanen laced up and skated out to the middle of the rink to help drop the ceremonial puck with Smith and his Utah Hockey Club & Jazz co-owner and wife Ashley. New captain and forward Clayton Keller was there to take the ceremonial faceoff and had a message to Markkanen before he hit the ice.
“I told him before he went out there, don’t fall,” Keller said. “Apparently he fell this morning. So, it’s good he didn’t (fall).”
Outside, thousands of fans watched popular country singer Shaboozey perform a pregame concert. Those fans stayed and watched the game on big screens set up right outside the arena. If the passion and dedication of the newest fanbase in the NHL had been questioned before the game, there was no doubt that this team has an energetic and supportive group of followers.
For Coyotes fans down south, it was hard to watch. Many supported the former players, happy that they were in a much more financially supportive environment. However, it was still difficult for them to witness a team thrive that was supposed to be in Arizona, one that is likely to compete for a playoff spot.
Some Coyotes fans flew to Salt Lake City to watch their former team play. Kachina and maroon jerseys were spotted all around the arena. Even Coyotes legend Shane Doan was at the event talking to fans and later his son, Josh, who, similar to his dad, will play for a new franchise after a relocation from a struggling market.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was at the game, sitting next to Smith on the glass. Bettman was one of the factors in preventing the Coyotes from leaving sooner. However, as the situation dragged on, even he had to bend and eventually facilitate the relocation of the Coyotes’ hockey operations to Salt Lake City.
“We wish we didn’t have to leave,” the NHL commissioner said to PHNX Sports before the game. “I think everybody knows that nobody could have stood behind the franchise or community under difficult circumstances as long as we did.”
While Bettman has stood behind the market before and still believes it’s a good market, the NHL is done with Arizona for now. Bettman doubled down on his comments that the NHL should not even think about returning to the Grand Canyon State without fixing the problem that plagued the franchise for years.
“Talk to me when there’s an arena that a hockey team can play in, or the realistic possibility of an arena, and then we can have a conversation,” he said. “Short of that, there’s nothing to really think about or discuss.”
It’s clear the NHL is interested in expansion. With the amount of money the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken have made and most likely the Utah Hockey Club as well, it’s hard not to listen. Atlanta seems to be the front-runner in landing a team after the city requested the league to start the expansion process. Atlanta has two known groups attempting to lure the league back to the city after losing two NHL teams: the Thrashers and the Flames. Arena construction in South Forsyth suggests a facility that could house an NHL team. Houston is another likely candidate
For Arizona, it’s not impossible for the state to get a team back. A report from PHNX Sports states that the media outlet is aware of at least one ownership group that has political backing to land a team and has a viable plan to build an arena. While Bettman confirmed he has gotten phone calls of interest in getting major league hockey back in the Valley, he once again restated that there needs to be an NHL-suitable arena before any conversation about a return to Arizona.
For the veterans on Utah who spent years with the Coyotes, it was nice to just focus on hockey and play in front of a building full of loud fans. Even goaltender Connor Ingram, who in Arizona didn’t have to deal with a large media contingent – which he loved– found himself with a camera in front of him for most of the day.
“It’s not my kind of thing,” Ingram said. “A lot of cameras, a lot of people, You couldn’t go anywhere without a camera in your face today. That’s not what I’m about. Just the end of the game there, we scored that fourth when the building erupted and you see the towels go, I think that’s why any of us got into the game of hockey. Is that moment right there, that noise, that feeling, that’s what gets you out of bed in the morning.”
Keller, who was one of the longest-tenured Coyotes, played in the first and only preseason game at Delta Center in September. He was impressed by the crowd in that game. The opening night game was a different level for Keller.
“I think the first preseason game we had was pretty crazy,” Keller said. “I think this was on a whole other level. I think it was a super fun game to be a part of. The fans were awesome from warm-ups all the way to the last shift there. We couldn’t be more excited to play in front of them for the rest of the year.”
The game against the Blackhawks marked the first time Keller skated out with the captain’s “C” on his jersey. Keller had been rumored to be the next captain for a few seasons but the organization wanted to be absolutely sure about its choice.
It seems as if all of the hockey world was focused on Salt Lake City. ESPN held a live broadcast for the intermission, pregame and postgame reports on a stage in front of Delta Center for the whole day, including the two other games that came before Utah’s game against the Blackhawks.
Even NHL coaches were paying close attention to the historical event. Coach Andre Tourigny’s phone was blowing up by the time the team hit the ice.
“I received texts from about half of the head coaches in the league,” Tourigny said. “That means something. That’s because it’s special. I didn’t receive any texts from all the head coaches last year. It’s just not something that normally happens. So I think it’s special when you have a new franchise, you play the first game, and you have all the atmosphere around and all of it. I think it was just a special day, and we’ll remember that forever.”
It was a day that many will remember, some in different ways. For Utah fans, it’s the start of something special. It was a celebration of welcoming the NHL and their new young team filled with superstars like Keller, Cooley and Guenther. It was overall a dream come true for hockey fans in the Beehive State. Meanwhile, for fans in Arizona, it was the official end of their Coyotes. They watched as the former players who were supposed to help bring playoff and championship aspirations to the Valley instead fight for Utah.
Even though hockey’s future in the Valley isn’t dead with Arizona State’s DI NCAA hockey team set to play in Mullett Arena for the first time this season this weekend, it still hurts for many to see their former NHL team thrive in a different city and state. However, it is a form of closure for those fans as Utah continues its inaugural season on the road in New York. NHL hockey will most likely be back one day.
It might be the end of the chapter for major league hockey in Arizona right now, but it certainly isn’t the end of the book.
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