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Former Coyotes squad receive warm welcome in NHL’s newest franchise in Utah's Salt Lake City
NHL in Utah is set to play its inaugural season next year as the newest team in the league through relocation.
The decision was finalized when the Arizona Coyotes moved to Salt Lake City, leading to NHL Utah's establishment under Ryan Smith's ownership earlier this month.
The name of the NHL Utah team, along with its logo and color is yet to be finalized, but it has been confirmed that the club will be known by the moniker "Utah". Salt Lake City's hockey fans are excitedly buzzing as the city prepares to embrace its new team.
On Wednesday, the fans in Salt Lake City gave a warm welcome to the former Arizona Coyotes team to the league's new city. The players were greeted with a cacophony of cheers, with hundreds of youth hockey enthusiasts across the state awaiting them, holding signs, waving hockey sticks and chanting in excitement.
The team later stepped onto the ice at the Delta Center and was showered with roaring applause from a full house.
The team was led by Andre Tourigny, who couldn't help but envision the future and is excited and optimistic for the upcoming season (via KSL.com):
"First impression when I walked in the building was being sad to think I have to wait four or five months to get back," he said.
"I cannot wait to get on the ice. … We've heard a lot about how loud it is in this building (for Jazz games). … We went to write our own story and make it a wonderful story in Utah."
Tourigny also noted that there was a sense of excitement when the players and coaches explored the facilities, including the Delta Center and the Utah Jazz facility, to provide them with a glimpse of what they could anticipate in the future.
Ryan Smith is in no rush for NHL Utah's new name
Utah will replace the Arizona Coyotes in the 2024-25 season and play their home games at the Delta Center. The new club will represent the Central Division of the West.
However, Smith is in no rush to announce the new name of the franchise. Instead, the team will just have Utah on the front. On Wednesday, the list of potential team names for the new Utah NHL team was revealed.
According to reports, the franchise's name will likely be picked from the list through fan votes.
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