SALT LAKE CITY — For the second consecutive year, the Blackhawks attempted a valiant rally from multiple goals down in their season opener.
Unlike last season in Pittsburgh, however, they felt short Tuesday in a 5-2 loss to Utah, allowing a raucous crowd celebrating the recently relocated franchise’s inaugural game to go home happy.
Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Foligno scored for the Hawks, who trailed 3-0 halfway through the second period, and Tyler Bertuzzi rang the post with about 65 seconds left on a shot that could’ve tied the game at 3-3. Utah added two late goals to inflate the final score.
This story will be updated.
New home
Hours before puck drop, hundreds of Utah employees were scurrying around the Delta Center, where the NBA’s Jazz have played since 1991, to prepare it for its new tenant. Shirts were still being laid out in the team store, artwork was still being installed on the concourses and hallway access policies were still being determined on the fly.
It all came together just in time, however. Fans packed not only the 11,131 seats with unobstructed views but also thousands more on the ends of the upper level that could only see the far-side goal — an unfortunate flaw in arenas designed specifically for basketball.
Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy, who spent the first three years of his career as a Coyote, said he’s glad the players who endured such a turbulent ride in Arizona can now settle into a more stable home in Utah. Two of his teammates from the 2016-17 Coyotes — Lawson Crouse and Clayton Keller — remain part of the franchise, as do a handful of staff members.
“They’ve been through a lot for a lot of years, changing rinks in Arizona and then ownership and now [moving] here,” Murphy said. “It sounds like the setup is really nice and ownership is taking care of them, which is nice to hear, because they all deserve good treatment after being sent around everywhere.”
While Murphy spent morning skate reflecting on the changes his old franchise has undergone, he and other Hawks also checked out some of the details and nuances specific to this rink.
The air temperature inside the Delta Center is warmer than most, they noticed. That meant they sweated more, which meant they needed to hydrate more.
Moreover, the lights are brighter than most — since they were designed to illuminate a basketball court, which isn’t as reflective as an ice rink. The boards, being brand new, are bouncier than most. And the steepness of the stands, including the folded-up vertical sections behind both goals, change players’ perception of scale on the ice.
“Rinks where the stands are steep along the glass makes it feel a little tighter and smaller, which I like,” Murphy said. “The ones where their lower bowls are wide and [have a] gradual incline, those feel bigger and more echo-y. It’s nice to feel like everything is right on top of the ice.”
Allan’s debut
Nolan Allan made his NHL debut Tuesday on the third pairing next to Connor Murphy, rewarding him for a strong training-camp performance and sending a message to other prospects that they, too, can alter the perceived organizational depth chart with strong play.
“I just came into camp trying to be the best version of myself,” Allan said. “I knew there was a high chance I would probably go back to Rockford, but I didn’t take it as that was the final answer.”
If Allan turns into a useful piece for the Hawks, it would add a new dimension to retrospective analyses of the controversial 2021 Seth Jones trade.
As part of that deal, the Hawks sent the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft to the Blue Jackets and received the 32nd pick in exchange, selecting Allan with it. The Jackets used the 12th pick on forward Cole Sillinger, who has already played three full NHL seasons but has yet to exceed 32 points.