The Utah Hockey Club walked out in front of a packed Delta Center for the first time on Monday night. The arena was loud, the atmosphere looked electric, and if I didn't know any better, you would not have been able to convince me that it was a preseason game.
You could tell Utah's players felt the energy in the building. They jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first period, and right after the goal, Liam O'Brian did what he does best: get the crowd going. Off the puck drop following a Utah goal, O'Brian would square up with Jeff Malott; this fight made an already loud crowd go wild, which I am sure helped lead Utah to scoring their second goal in only a minute and 30 seconds following the scrap.
We are now up to Friday, and Utah has not played another preseason game, which has given the players lots of time to remember playing in front of their new fanbase for the first time.
Here is what some Utah Hockey Club players had to say about their first experience playing in the Delta Center:
Utah Hockey Club Players' reaction to packed Delta Center in preseason home opener
Utah Head Coach General Manager Bill Armstrong said, “It was like it was a playoff game in there. That’s how loud it was. You could feel the energy. It was a good way to get the season started for sure." (via @BagleyKSLsports).
I start with Armstrong here because he seems pretty honest and relatively even-keeled. He didn't have to jump to the playoff atmosphere; he could have compared this crowd to a regular-season game or home opener, but no... he went straight to the playoff atmosphere. Some might say this has to be an exaggeration, but I don't think so. From what I could hear through the TV, the Delta Center was LOUD, and numerous players have confirmed this sentiment.
Alex Kerfoot was one of those guys who shared sentiments similar to Armstrong's. Kerfoot said, "Great atmosphere. I think that’s the biggest takeaway is that the fans are excited, ready to go, and we had a lot of fun playing in front of them" (via @BagleyKSLsports). Kerfoot spent four years playing in Toronto, one the biggest fanbases in the NHL. However, the atmosphere in the building at Maple Leaf games, so I think it was huge of Kerfoot to say his "biggest takeaway is that the fans are excited".
Alexander Kerfoot: “Great atmosphere. I think that’s the biggest takeaway is that the fans are excited, ready to go, and we had a lot of fun playing in front of them…”
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 26, 2024
Like I said, these guys had a blast playing at the Delta Center. pic.twitter.com/dhEWNQins3
Other players who expressed love for the fans after Utah's 3-2 overtime win over the Kings included Sean Durzi, Lawson Crouse, Liam O'Brien and Tij Iginla, who heard the noise from the press box. I am sure this crowd of 11,000+ Utah hockey fans has these players ecstatic to play 42 home games at the Delta Center.