(Bromont) We would have thought we were on the show Perfecto. Replace the MusiquePlus studios with a golf course, replace Stéphane Leduc with André Tourigny, and here we are in the middle of a fashion column.
The subject: the new colors of the Utah team, revealed four days earlier. Tourigny was, however, entitled to a foretaste; during his visit to Salt Lake City at the beginning of June, he was given a few pieces of clothing, including the polo shirt he proudly wore on Monday at the charity golf tournament organized by the Original Foundation.
So did Tourigny know in advance what the colors would be? “I guessed it, I said to myself: well, it’s going to be our colors! », concedes the head coach of the late Coyotes.
“I like it, and I like the fact that it’s thoughtful. White is for the Great Salt Lake. Black is for mountain rock,” he says.
Mountain blue represents “the natural beauty of the state,” read the team’s press release.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY UTAH HOCKEY CLUB, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
This rendering provided by the Utah Hockey Club shows the new NHL team’s uniforms.
The unveiling took place last Thursday, June 13, and coincided with the closing of the transaction allowing Smith Entertainment Group to officially take ownership of the once-unloved franchise. It was another opportunity for owner Ryan Smith to continue his charm operation.
“When the sale was finalized and before the colors were revealed, he did a Zoom with all the staff, everyone. He wanted us to be the first to see him. While I was at the World Championship [en mai], he texted me to show me the facilities. Chris Armstrong [nommé mardi président opérations hockey] texted me too, so we knew the plans. They are very human. They are extraordinary. »
Now it remains to find a name for this club. The poll asking fans their preference continues until June 20, and six names are proposed: Venom, Blizzard, Yeti, Mammoth, Outlaws and Utah HC. Our suggestion from Utah Providence was unfortunately not accepted.
The end of a saga
In the meantime, Tourigny took advantage of the last few weeks to close the Arizona chapter of his career. After the World Championship, where he led Canada to 4e rank, he returned to the Phoenix area to empty his apartment, and then found a home in Salt Lake City.
However, the transition is not that simple for everyone. “A transaction is part of the job,” he recalled. But for the rest, for your equipment guys, high performance, there is a big human side. Guys are separated, their kids stay in Arizona. Others, if they come to Utah, it means their wife quits her job. This is different from a transaction. When you are traded, you arrive alone in a new group. There, everyone moves, we have landmarks, friends. Everyone pulled together and it’s very positive. We are in good hands. »
To this end, one can wonder if the episode will serve to solidify Tourigny’s ascendancy over his group. At the end of the season, it was rumored that the head coach had fought hard to obtain clarifications for his players and staff, at a time when several pieces of information were leaking via the usual informants.
“There are things in life that you try to forget!” », he replies, to dodge the question.
“But it’s important to behave. We didn’t know what was happening. And we must understand that the people in place could not speak. As much as our CEO, our owner, the future owners, the league. You can’t speak publicly. We understood it and it was important to behave. There were human situations and that’s where you recognize those who will be there when things are difficult. »
Coincidence or not, the Coyotes ended the schedule with five victories in their last seven games, including three against the Oilers and the Canucks, two clubs that were fighting for 1D place of the Pacific division.
High school before university…
Utah holds 6e choice of the next draft, immediately after the Canadian. The team will therefore speak in the top 10 for the fourth year in a row; she claimed Dylan Guenther at 9e rank in 2021, Logan Cooley at 3e rank in 2022 and Dmitry Simashev at 6e rank last year. None of these three played in the NHL in the season following their draft, and Tourigny doesn’t expect the future lucky pick to be at the Delta Center next October. “We haven’t talked about it, but I don’t think it’s good. I’m not one to think that because you’re going to be a doctor, you have to start college at 12. Get your secondary education and, when you get there, you’ll go to university. The NHL is the best league in the world. If the player is ready, he is ready. But you will peak between 24 and 29 years old. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. »