Utah Hockey Club gears up for first preseason game
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The hockey rink at the Delta Center. Photo: Chris Gardner/Getty Images
The Utah Hockey Club kicks off its preseason on Sunday in an away game against the St. Louis Blues.
Why it matters: It will be the first time fans will get to see the new NHL team in action.
The big picture: During Wednesday's media day at the Delta Center, Chris Armstrong, the team's president of hockey operations, told reporters he doesn't anticipate the club reaching the playoffs in its first season but expects the team to be competitive and improve as they get used to a new city.
- The team's head coach is André Tourigny, who most recently served as head coach of the Coyotes.
Yes, but: Armstrong predicts the club will rank among the top 20 out 32 NHL teams in ticket sales this year.
- "We had over 30,000 season ticket deposits when the team was announced," he said.
Context: The Utah Hockey Club is now the third major sports franchise to call the Beehive State home, joining the NBA's Utah Jazz and Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake.
- Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the Jazz and Real Salt Lake, acquired the team formerly known as Arizona Coyotes for a reported $1.2 billion.
State of play: The team's current name is temporary and its official name has not yet been announced.
- Finalist names gathered from a fan survey include: Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, Yeti and the Utah Hockey Club.
What they're saying: "We've had to do, in some cases, several years of work in five months. All of it is really a testament to how hard everybody's leaned in and pulled on the road together," Bill Armstrong said Wednesday.
What's next: The club will hit the ice for its first regular season and home game on Oct. 8 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
What we're watching: How defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, who used to play for the Tampa Bay Lightning before being traded in June, will shape the team's defensive core.