Utah NHL players and execs give first impressions of Delta Center and Salt Lake hockey fans

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.

And when they saw the ice on the arena, the design of the seats and everything in between, it seemed like they were already imagining what it would be like to play there.

“It looks unbelievable,” right wing Clayton Keller said. “It’s kind of unique with the seats kind of being right on top of you. Everything that we’ve heard is the building is always super loud. They’ve had 250 straight sellouts for the Jazz. So that’s super exciting.”

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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.

“They’re really excited,” Armstrong said. “They’re excited about the enthusiasm of the fans and everybody. ... The rink today got them excited.

“We want to rev it up in here,” Armstrong continued. “We want to become the loudest building in the NHL in here. That building up there gives us a chance. The way it’s built, how steep it is. You couldn’t design a better building for us.”

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah NHL team general manager Bill Armstrong, left, and head coach André Tourigny answer questions during a news conference at the Delta Center on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Rick Egan/)

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.

Much like when they entered the airplane hanger to a hundreds of screaming kids, the players and their families, and staff members walked down a black carpet on the Delta Center ice and took in the atmosphere. Later, they each took a chair on stage and introduced themselves to the crowd.

But when they did, it wasn’t simply saying their name, position and home city. They also thanked the crowd for their energy and passion, and also had a little fun.

“How we doin’, guys? Let’s go!” forward Liam O’Brien yelled into the microphone. “My name is Liam O’Brien. You guys can call me Spicy Tuna.” His teammates erupted in laughter as the crowd got even louder. Moments later, center Jack McBain led the crowd in a “Spicy Tuna” chant.

In attendance at the event were Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy, Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen.

Earlier in the day, coach André Tourigny asked one of the kids at the airport to sign his hoodie. 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. “I said to my wife, ‘I think it’s my best day in the NHL so far.’”

Tourigny said his first impression of the arena was “being sad to think I have to wait four or five months to get back.” The team is due back in Salt Lake City on Aug. 1 to prepare for its inaugural season.

“Now we want to write our own story and make it a wonderful story in Utah,” Tourigny said.

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