(Salt Lake City) Utah hockey fans welcomed the former Arizona Coyotes to their new home Wednesday.
The players and coaches were greeted at the airport in the morning by a crowd of approximately 100 young players from local hockey programs.
The team held a rally at the Delta Center in the afternoon. The arena was packed for the free event, with many fans turned away at the gates.
PHOTO RICK BOWMER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clayton Keller speaks at the event.
“We’re talking about a group of 70 people traded on the same day and going to the same place,” said head coach André Tourigny. I think it creates a certain magic and that it will bring us closer together. When we want to win championships, we have to go through the trenches together. We went through some trenches this year. »
The uprooting is tempered by the energetic welcome in Utah and the opportunity to build a new culture.
“It’s something historic,” said forward Lawson Crouse. Not many people can say that. Obviously, the circumstances of the last few weeks have been (peculiar), but it’s an honor to be here now. We feel blessed and we’re really looking forward to getting things done here. »