SALT LAKE CITY — Not many Utahns have made it to the top in the NHL, but one star who did says Salt Lake City is in for something special when the league arrives next season.
"I think the fans are gonna be in for a real treat as they get to know more and more about the NHL game game of hockey," said former NHL player Steve Konowalchuk.
Born in Salt Lake City, Konowalchuk went on to play over 14 seasons with both the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche, scoring 171 goals after being selected in the third round of the 1991 NHL Draft.
Konowalchuk grew up watching the minor league Salt Lake Golden Eagles when they played at the Salt Palace at a time when hockey wasn't a big deal in Utah.
"There was three ice rinks in all of the Salt Lake area, Bountiful and Cottonwood, and so we were driving all over the city. It was just unheard of that anybody would spend that much time playing hockey," he said. "So it's pretty exciting to see that it's coming around now.
"It's neat."
Now an assistant coach with the Colorado Eagles in the Avalanche organization, Konowalchuk believes winning is the key for long-term NHL support in Utah, but thinks it won't take long for fans to hope on board.
Hockey great Luc Robitaille shares excitement over Utah NHL hockey:
"I think the fans will be surprised how fast it is when they watch it live compared to on television or the computers and they're really gonna be impressed," he said.
Luc Robitaille, a former NHL All-Star and current president of the Los Angeles Kings, currently lives in Park City and says preseason games previously held in Salt Lake City are a good indicator of success in Utah.
"Every year we have great crowds and it's really loud, and it's been fun for our players to go there every year," he said.
Even though he's now part of the competition, Robitaille is excited about the NHL's arrival to the Beehive State.
"It's going to really help the whole city and the whole state of Utah," Robitaille added. "I think it's great and really looking forward to playing some games there next year."
