Tuesday marked the start of a new era in the NHL.
The Utah Hockey Club made its debut against the Chicago Blackhawks at Delta Center, marking the beginning of the team’s highly anticipated inaugural season.
Utah secured a 5-2 victory in its first game, racing out to a 3-0 lead that shrunk to 3-2 before Utah scored two goals in the final minute of the game to put it away.
The team, which is composed of players from the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes, is looking to make a splash in its first year in its new location. To help them do that, Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen participated in the inaugural puck drop.
It's time to break the ice in Utah! 👏<br><br>Welcome to the NHL, <a href="https://twitter.com/utahhockeyclub?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahhockeyclub</a>! 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/1RjbpOQ6ib">pic.twitter.com/1RjbpOQ6ib</a>
Here’s some more highlights from Tuesday’s action:
We're ready for you, Utah fans! 🩵 <a href="https://t.co/AAcRMionRf">pic.twitter.com/AAcRMionRf</a>
Utah fans are out in full force to cheer on their club! 🙌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLFaceOff?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLFaceOff</a> <br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/utahhockeyclub?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahhockeyclub</a>'s inaugural game at 10p ET on <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a>, ESPN+, <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sportsnet</a>, Sportsnet+, and <a href="https://twitter.com/TVASports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TVASports</a>! <a href="https://t.co/LZaOr0ektW">pic.twitter.com/LZaOr0ektW</a>
The party is just getting started! 🤩 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLFaceOff?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLFaceOff</a><a href="https://twitter.com/ShaboozeysJeans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShaboozeysJeans</a> helped get the crowd rocking ahead of <a href="https://twitter.com/utahhockeyclub?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@utahhockeyclub</a>'s inaugural game!<br><br>🇺🇸: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPN</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNPlus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNPlus</a> ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm">https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm</a><br>🇨🇦: <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sportsnet</a> or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF">https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF</a> <a href="https://t.co/zveYXd4E5F">pic.twitter.com/zveYXd4E5F</a>
FIRST NHL PUCK DROP IN UTAH‼️<br><br>📺: ESPN/ESPN+ <a href="https://t.co/38UmjpDHvs">pic.twitter.com/38UmjpDHvs</a>
The Utah Hockey Club has officially arrived. 🏔️<br><br>Watch their inaugural game LIVE on Sportsnet. 📺 <a href="https://t.co/J5yC7MqDDl">pic.twitter.com/J5yC7MqDDl</a>
The season started strong with Dylan Guenther scoring in the first period. The Utah Hockey Club added another in the first from captain Clayton Keller.
WHAT. A. MOMENT. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLFaceOff?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLFaceOff</a> <a href="https://t.co/1McV0vgE3e">https://t.co/1McV0vgE3e</a> <a href="https://t.co/5Mn0WphCET">pic.twitter.com/5Mn0WphCET</a>
WELCOME TO THE HISTORY BOOKS, DYLAN GUENTHER! 🙌<br><br>THAT'S THE FIRST GOAL IN UTAH HOCKEY CLUB FRANCHISE HISTORY! 🏔️ <a href="https://t.co/vcOfBRZNw8">pic.twitter.com/vcOfBRZNw8</a>
Captain Keller gets another for Utah 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/3i9Ou2HplI">pic.twitter.com/3i9Ou2HplI</a>
Barrett Hayton scored on a deflected shot from Mikhail Sergachev in the second period to make it 3-0.
Just kidding, Hayton deflected it 😅 <a href="https://t.co/ifBoUgAdO8">https://t.co/ifBoUgAdO8</a>
Teuvo Teravainen put the Blackhawks on the board in the second period, Nick Foligno then scored early in the third, shrinking Chicago’s deficit to one.
However, Guenther scored his second goal of the game on an empty net with 42 seconds remaining in regulation to put a stop to the Chicago comeback, and Lawson Crouse added another goal 20 seconds later for good measure:
Guenther, AGAIN! <br><br>4-2, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a>. <a href="https://t.co/ZsENZ6msmb">pic.twitter.com/ZsENZ6msmb</a>
ANOTHERRRRR!!!! <a href="https://t.co/XN8ocgpfIn">pic.twitter.com/XN8ocgpfIn</a>
While the Utah Hockey Club will likely have a new name, jerseys and team colors in the near future, residents of Salt Lake City were nonetheless excited to bring a team to their city.
Yeah…this is a hockey town now<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLinUtah?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLinUtah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> <a href="https://t.co/5ZJjHzHdQ5">pic.twitter.com/5ZJjHzHdQ5</a>
Initial warmups, this is really happening. <br><br>An NHL game will be played in Salt Lake City tonight.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHL</a> <a href="https://t.co/jEfHkmWh9f">pic.twitter.com/jEfHkmWh9f</a>
The Delta Center renovations will take an extra year now after Dylan Guenther's first <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> goal created seismic activity.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLinUtah?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLinUtah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kslsports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kslsports</a> <a href="https://t.co/BaxvlFJiHj">pic.twitter.com/BaxvlFJiHj</a>
Absolute. Chills. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> <a href="https://t.co/neyZxAl1cW">pic.twitter.com/neyZxAl1cW</a>
Dylan Guenther lit the lamp and this place is going nuts!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHL</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y5Rdl7BCKx">pic.twitter.com/Y5Rdl7BCKx</a>
And thus we see, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> is born.<br><br>Game on. <a href="https://t.co/R4s1z1wP4G">pic.twitter.com/R4s1z1wP4G</a>
Incredible. Can't wait to watch history tonight. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> <a href="https://t.co/P8VURCyrmc">pic.twitter.com/P8VURCyrmc</a>
Scenes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> <a href="https://t.co/aYVQd73uje">pic.twitter.com/aYVQd73uje</a>
Utah is going to be a good hockey market IMO.
Go UHC! The Delta Center looks electric. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> is a wagon
From not selling 2000 tickets a night to a sold out Delta Center, these guys are having fun.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> up 3-0
I was recording for the "Spicy Tuna" chants. Then Barrett Hayton scored the third goal of the game. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UtahHC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UtahHC</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZLdJJhcK96">pic.twitter.com/ZLdJJhcK96</a>
For years, Utah has had just one professional sports team in the Utah Jazz. Now residents of the mostly empty market have another team to cheer on, so they’re likely going to bring the energy this year.
Prior to relocating to Utah, the Coyotes had missed the playoffs in four straight seasons and hadn’t made it out of the first round since 2012.
That suggests Utah could have an uphill climb in terms of making a postseason run in its inaugural year as a franchise, but there is plenty of reason for optimism.
Young players such as Guenther, Hayton, Logan Cooley, Mattias Maccelli and Josh Doan will have a chance to come into their own in new surroundings, and Tuesday’s opener proved that the Utah fanbase has already embraced them.
Now that Utah has its first win under its belt, it will look to turn it into a streak when it goes on the road to face the New York Islanders on Thursday.
