It was hours before the puck dropped but there was already a buzz inside the arena Tuesday morning, as the members of Utah Hockey Club readied themselves for something new.
A new team.
A new city.
A new season.
A new era.
“This is probably the most excited I’ve ever been to play a hockey game. Coming to the rink today, even though it’s morning skate, you still feel like you’re getting chills,” forward Logan Cooley said. “You get a buzz around the city and it’s just so exciting. It feels like you’re just in the best moment of your life with these people.”
Inaugural game rally towels and t-shirts adorned every seat in the Delta Center, waiting for the sellout crowd that would witness the first regular season game in Utah Hockey Club history.
“It’s a pretty special one,” defenseman Sean Durzi said.
Outside the arena, fans showed up early for a full day of celebration, leading up to the night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club's first NHL season kicks off at the Delta Center against the Chicago Blackhawks in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Utah beat the Blackhawks 5-2 for the club’s first win ever.
Forward Dylan Guenther sent the crowd into a frenzy when he scored the franchise’s first goal in the opening period. Utah captain Clayton Keller and forward Barrett Hayton boosted Utah to a 3-0 lead in the second period. Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Foligno scored for Chicago to make it 3-2. However, another goal from Guenther and one from Lawson Crouse sealed the victory.
Win or lose, there’d be no dampening spirits Tuesday night.
Ryan Lorensen had been waiting for the moment for years. The Salt Lake man initially got pulled into hockey after watching the 2017 Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators but never thought he’d have a home team to root for.
“To see that in Utah, it’s so special,” Lorensen said. “Even if [Utahns] are not ready right now, they’ll be ready. They’ll see what this team has to offer and what they can bring, and they’ll be all on board. I promise you that.”
For Duane Dixon, a native of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, this club is the third iteration of the team he grew up watching. The Winnipeg Jets were moved to Phoenix in 1996 where they became the Coyotes. Facing ownership and stadium issues, the Coyotes were dissolved and the players moved to Utah in April. Dixon, meanwhile, made sure he was at Tuesday’s opener to witness the dawn of a new era.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club owner Ryan Smith, center left, joins the fans gathered for the arrival of team players as the team's first NHL season kicks off at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
“When they brought the team here, I was excited to come and see Utah and enjoy and cheer on the team under proper ownership finally,” Dixon said. “It’s been nuts, it’s been crazy, it’s been a rollercoaster ride. Finally, excitement.”
The team’s new owners, Ryan and Ashley Smith, have said they are committed to making Salt Lake a premier NHL city for fans and athletes alike. After years of uncertainty in Phoenix, that has allowed Utah Hockey Club to have one focus this season.
“No distractions,” Keller said. “You can say what you want, but at times [in Arizona] friends, family, people are always asking you what’s going on and you don’t know. It’s nice to be freed up and focus on our job and what we’re here to do, which is win.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club players celebrate the goal by Clayton Keller (9), in the inaugural game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Delta Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
