SALT LAKE CITY — After months, not years, in the making, Utah Hockey Club fans were more than ready to roar and cheer on their very own NHL team.
A year ago, it wasn't even a dream. On Tuesday, it was reality as an electric Delta Center was pumped to get the inaugural season underway.
"First time ever, like this is the greatest ever!," said one fan.
The NHL may be new to Salt Lake City, but for diehard hockey in the Beehive State, the first puck drop has been a long time coming.
"We've waited for this for 50 years," said another fan. "At 10 years we'd come down and play in the Salt Palace."
Utah Hockey Club fans packed the concourse, including two dressed as... mammoths?
"Everyone knows the team is going to be Utah Yetis," shared one of the mammoths. "However, there are two nerds in Salt Lake City that wanted to make a big push for Mammoth."
It was all fun and games on opening night, but for the home crowd, it got emotional seeing their team on the ice.
"The grandkids will be seeing this moment and you'll be able to tell them your whole life, you were here!," one fan said.
"Just being able to be part of history and be able to be watching the puck drop, and then like 10, 15, 20 years, I can say to my kids, I was at the first game!," said another fan.
Win or lose, for the 11,000 fans, the wait for an NHL team was all worth it.
