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The night that many Arizona Coyotes fans feared or hoped was just a nightmare has come.

The Utah Hockey Club, the Arizona Coyotes until April of this year, entered its first NHL game Tuesday night at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. It was a first for the front office, coaching staff and players that were once the Coyotes.

Coyotes fans know the story. In April, intense speculation surfaced about the team moving to Utah. On April 17, the Coyotes and their fans knew that day would mark the last game for the team as they knew it in Arizona, and the emotional scenes at Mullett Arena were heartbreaking as fans suddenly united after 28 years desert farewelled by the Yotes.

The following day, the sale of the team's players and other assets to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith was officially announced.

It all happened so quickly. In the last week of April, former Coyotes – the team's name and branding were handled by Alex Meruelo – touched down in Salt Lake for a rally and a tour of their new downtown home, where they were greeted by throngs of fans who welcomed them in wanted to welcome the city.

Months later, the offseason arrived. Training camp has come and gone, the roster is set, the seats in the Delta Center are decorated with T-shirts and rally towels and Utah HC – featuring Coyotes All-Star Clayton Keller, now Utah's captain, and many of the same players who Coyotes fans have met and love in Utah uniforms.

On Tuesday, the team held its first morning skate. They faced the Chicago Blackhawks in the opening game, following pregame festivities at the Delta Center in the late afternoon and early evening.

“It looks great with all the towels on the seats and stuff. I’m sure the crowd will be loud and super packed, so I’m just looking forward to it,” Keller said after the morning skate. “It's super cool for us and from day one they really made us feel welcome and how excited they were about hockey. I’m looking forward to finally starting here.”

The NHL game Utah vs. Chicago was broadcast live on ESPN on Tuesday.

On By John Fenwick

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