Utah is Ready for the NHL

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Coyotes’ players and staff are ready to represent and play for Utah.

It was an emotional scene last week as the Coyotes played their final game in Arizona and officially relocated to Salt Lake City.

However, on Wednesday when the Coyotes officially touched down in Utah, there was a sense of excitement and really the beginning of a new chapter.

Kids missed school to welcome this new NHL team to their city while the Delta Center was packed with fans who embraced players and staff members with open arms.

“Getting off that plane and for those players today, it was a clean slate for them,” Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said. “You could see the joy in their faces when they saw the kids. I don’t know if the kids will ever understand how much that meant to the players. I almost had a tear in my eye coming down.”

For a team that has been dealing with relocation rumors and uncertainty for multiple years, this sort of reception was a big deal for them.

The people of Utah showed that they are prepared to rally around this team and support the players through a really hectic time for all of their lives.

“It made us feel at home already,” Coyotes coach André Tourigny said. “We already want to fight for Utah. I’m blown away right now.”

There seemed to be an incredible atmosphere at the Delta Center, which switched the mood from sadness about leaving Arizona to pure joy to see so many fans come out and support a group of players that they can really call their own.

“It’s been a surreal experience,” said Armstrong. “I don’t think there is a player here that is coming to visit that isn’t emotional about the feeling they get when they see the fans here. And how excited they are in Utah to have us.”