What does the Utah HC coach expect from tonight?

Utah Hockey Club coach Andre Tourigny has coached teams to World Junior Championships and U-18 Championships, and he has been named Coach of the Year in multiple competitions. In short, he has coached big games before.

How does Tuesday’s opener compare?

“Normally when you coach a big game like that, it’s not the first game of the year,” he said. “It’s at the end of a tournament of the season, or something like that, where you know exactly how it’s going to happen. You know exactly what the opponent will do, you know exactly what your team will do, you just have to keep the game And this one is a little more unknown.”

The Blackhawks have a lot of new faces and their preseason games didn’t show much. There’s a bit of a mystery to it.

But he does know one thing: he will take some time to absorb everything.

“This is unique. This is special,” he said. “I’m not saying I’m not looking forward to Game 12 of the year when it’s all over, but I think this is a super cool moment.”