Utah Hockey Club Makes History by Winning Its Inaugural Game

By Nicholas J. Cotsonika

@cotsonika
NHL.com Columnist
October 8, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY — Lauri Markkanen took to the ice at Delta Center on Tuesday as if he were part of the Utah Hockey Club rather than the NBA's Utah Jazz. The 7-foot Finnish player donned a No. 23 Utah hockey jersey and carried the puck to center ice for Ryan and Ashley Smith, the owners of both franchises.

“How we doing, Utah?” Ryan Smith asked the packed crowd, eliciting cheers. “Thank you for being here and filling the arena tonight. Let’s make this the loudest venue in the NHL. Let’s go!”

With that, Ashley Smith dropped the puck for the ceremonial face-off between Utah captain Clayton Keller and Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno, marking the opening of the NHL's newest team's inaugural season with a 5-2 victory.

“This is history,” Keller said. “It’s a one-time event, so you want to soak it all in. We all felt a bit of nerves, which is a good thing. You want those nerves before the first game, especially in this situation. It was super cool and something I’ll remember forever.”

There was so much to take in from start to finish.

During the morning skate at Delta Center, Utah players noticed workers placing inaugural game T-shirts and rally towels in the stands. Ryan Smith watched alongside other executives, along with numerous reporters.

“This is probably the most excited I’ve ever been to play a hockey game,” said Utah forward Logan Cooley. “Even though it was just morning skate, you could feel the chills.”

Cooley added that the excitement in the city felt like a peak experience shared with everyone.

“It’s an amazing moment,” said coach Andre Tourigny. “You can’t manufacture that. It probably won’t happen to me or any of those guys again. We need to embrace this opportunity, enjoy it, and recognize how fortunate we are.”

Afterward, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the Smiths held a press conference outside Delta Center, where Bettman stated that the Smith Entertainment Group had exceeded the league's high expectations within an unprecedented timeline.

The NHL awarded Utah its new franchise on April 18. In under six months, SEG tackled numerous challenges, including team development, arena preparations, practice facilities, and uniforms. This was the culmination of their efforts.

“I’ve always believed the NHL belonged here,” Bettman remarked. “This validates it. Everything has been great.”

As the team arrived for the game, players walked down a Mountain Blue carpet in suits, flanked by cheerleaders and fans. The Smiths enjoyed the scene alongside former NBA star Dwyane Wade, who sported a Utah Hockey Club hat as a minority owner of both the Utah Hockey Club and the Jazz. A few players stopped to greet fans and exchange hugs.

In a No. 24 Utah hockey jersey, country artist Shaboozey performed a pregame concert outside Delta Center while fans enjoyed dinner from food trucks and participated in hockey activities such as Hardest Shot and Accuracy Shooting. Three fighter jets soared over the mountains and flew over the arena.

As doors opened, the arena quickly filled. Markkanen wasn’t the only Jazz player present. The Utah hockey and basketball teams are forging a bond as they share owners and a venue this season.

“We want to create a blended family,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy. “We’ll support each other, but there will be some friendly competition to see who gets a banner up first.”

The official attendance was reported at 11,131, but that figure only accounted for unobstructed seats in a venue that still needs renovations for hockey over the next few years. Many obstructed seats were also filled, creating a true hockey atmosphere.

The fans cheered at all the right moments and booed when necessary, often chanting, “Let’s go, Utah!” or simply “Utah!” They even chanted “Spicy Tuna,” the nickname of forward Liam O’Brien.

The crowd erupted when forward Dylan Guenther scored the first goal in Utah Hockey Club history at 4:56 of the first period.

“That building was special,” Guenther said. “It was so much fun playing in front of that crowd. If it stays like this all year, it’s a huge advantage for us.”

The game had its tense moments as Utah’s 3-0 lead shrank to 3-2. Goalie Connor Ingram made crucial saves in the third period, including a stop on a breakaway from forward Taylor Hall. However, Guenther sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 19:16, and forward Lawson Crouse added another at 19:38 for the final score of 5-2.

“When we scored that fourth goal, the crowd went wild, and you could see the towels waving,” Ingram said. “That’s why we play hockey — for moments like that, for that noise and feeling. That’s what gets you out of bed in the morning.”

And this was just the beginning.

“It was a super fun game to be part of,” Keller said. “The fans were amazing from warm-ups to the last shift. We couldn’t be more excited to play in front of them for the rest of the year.”