Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Head coach André Tourigny has coached in the NHL for six seasons; that's a lot of days of coaching, interacting with fans, and winning games.
Wednesday, though, just might have been his favorite.
On Wednesday morning, Utah's yet-to-be-named NHL team made its first appearance in Salt Lake City. When the team deboarded the plane, they were met with a wall of sound. Hundreds of youth hockey players from around the state had filled up a hanger.
They held up signs and waved hockey sticks. They chanted and cheered. They welcomed their new heroes.
"There's a kid who signed my hoodie," Tourigny said. "I was the guy who was asking them to sign. Seriously, this will be my seventh year in the NHL, and I told my wife I think it's my best day in the NHL so far."
Talk about a first impression.
"We already want to fight for Utah. I'm blown away right now," he said.
Hours later, the team walked out onto the ice at the Delta Center to thunderous applause. A capacity crowd was on hand — numerous fans were even turned away at the door — to see the team for their first event as a Utah team.
"The enthusiasm, it tugs at your heart," general manager Bill Armstrong said. "We're grateful for that. I don't think there's a player here that's coming to visit that isn't emotional about the feeling they get when they see the fans here and how excited they are in Utah."
Will Utah support an NHL team? If Wednesday was any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.
And that enthusiasm cuts both ways.
When Tourigny walked into the Delta Center for the first time and saw the ice sheet, he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like next season: a raucous crowd, a new franchise, a new beginning. It made him giddy for the future.
"First impression when I walked in the building was being sad to think I have to wait four or five months to get back," he said. "I cannot wait to get on the ice. … We've heard a lot about how loud it is in this building (for Jazz games). … We want to write our own story and make it a wonderful story in Utah."
It's a story that, in some ways, began on Wednesday.
Players and coaches toured facilities — both the Delta Center and the Utah Jazz practice facility (to give a taste of what they can expect in the future). Their families, meanwhile, took a tour of the area.
"My phone is blowing up. My wife is sending me pictures every 30 minutes of something new," he said. "She's excited."
Tourigny said there was a buzz when the players' wives returned to the hotel lobby, too. He said they looked like teenagers with how happy they were.
"That shows two things: How much the people here in Utah welcome us, and how much we are excited to come," he said.
And that was all before they arrived at the Delta Center for Wednesday's nightcap. Fans waited hours outside for a chance to get inside to see the new players — and to be part of a historic moment.
Cheers echoed through the Delta Center as the team walked out together — and those cheers never stopped. It was a state and a fan base welcoming a long-awaited team.
"I've been dreaming of an NHL team since growing up going to Golden Eagles games," a fan sporting a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey said. He looked down at the sweater and smiled as he said: "I can't wait to replace this with a Utah one."
The team might not yet have a name — owner Ryan Smith confirmed during the event the fans will choose the name — but Wednesday showed it has a home.
"Utah, you touched my heart today," Armstrong told the crowd. "You have no idea what that means to us. We will pay you back for all of that emotion you gave us today."
Goalkeeper Connor Ingram was one of the last to be introduced to the crowd on Wednesday. He sat on stage, his excitement growing as he listened to all the cheers for each of his teammates. So when it was his turn at center stage, he had a message for the thousands who packed the Delta Center.
"Utah, if you keep this same energy, we'll run through a wall for you."
