And the players are grateful for that support.
A packed house at the Delta Center watched Utah rally from two goals down to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in a thrilling overtime on Wednesday. Mikhail Sergachev scored the game-winner with 11 seconds to go in the extra frame, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
“It’s awesome. That’s an amazing crowd tonight. It gives all of us chills. This is what you dream of,” captain Clayton Keller said of the fan support. “Playing in front of however many thousands of people, playing the game that you love with your best friends. There’s no better feeling.”
Before the game, owner Ryan Smith gave away nearly 2,000 partially obstructed viewing tickets for free to fans. The NHL later said 11,131 people were in attendance for the game.
While Utah still averages the fewest fans in the league, the crowds are much larger than the ones the former Arizona Coyotes were able to draw while playing on the campus of Arizona State University. That wayward situation was one of the reasons the NHL helped usher in a sale to Smith and the former Coyotes players and coaches are grateful for the support.
“That means a ton for the players. You want to be supported, you want to feel you belong,” head coach André Tourigny said of Smith’s ticket giveaway. “The atmosphere and the reaction of the fans tonight from the first period… to the overtime tell me you didn’t have goosebumps. That was cool.”
