Utah Hockey Club players rave about inaugural season of NHL
The Utah Hockey Club roster includes a mix of fresh and seasoned players– but no matter the length of time any of them have played, no one had actually experienced anything like this season before.It started
with the welcome occasion in April 2024, where the players took the phase at a totally packed Delta Center, hyping the crowd up for hockey. It was at this point that many of them realized their brand-new home could be special.
“I was expecting a lot of success. My standards were set quite high from that welcome and it exceeded it,” stated defenseman Sean Durzi. “It’s almost like the fans sensed something unique– not just with us, however with the state. All over we go, everyone’s speaking about hockey.”
That enjoyment remained into the preseason, where “the roof blew off” the arena throughout the first game, as forward Liam O’Brien put it at the time.By the time the first regular season game rolled around, the guys knew exactly what to expect– and even then, it surpassed expectations.
Group captain Clayton Keller described it as “something we’ll be discussing permanently.”
The assistance continued the entire season. Every Utah home game was a sellout. Fans even packed the majority of the limited-view seats on a nightly basis (though those aren’t counted towards the official arena capacity in terms of sellouts).
That excitement made the season unique for a group that had had a hard time for support the last handful of seasons.
“I believe particularly originating from in 2015 and after that to these games this year, you sort of value the fans and how much they care and the passion, so it’s been actually enjoyable,” said forward Jack McBain.Everyone had their preferred minutes throughout the season. For defenseman Michael Kesselring
, it’s a toss-up between his overtime goal against his childhood-favorite Boston Bruins and battling at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev noted
the numerous home overtime wins, including the one where he played hero. Forward Michael Carcone just liked dipping into home
in general.And, obviously, goaltender Karel Vejmelka has fond memories of his 49-save win against the Carolina Hurricanes, where he correctly presented himself to the fanbase.The players likewise expressed love for Utah as a location to live. Those with young kids pointed out the family-focused culture as an emphasize. Lots of mentioned the moderate environment and the fairly light traffic, and nearly everybody raved about the mountains.
“How clean it is– like, Salt Lake, Park City, Deer Valley, those spots– how individuals take care of them,”Sergachev stated when asked what amazed him about Utah.” I have actually lived in America for 8 years, 9 years, and it’s been a surprise.”