Utah Hockey Club made its official debut Tuesday as Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks rolled into town to open the inaugural campaign of the newest NHL team.

And I have to hand it to the Utah fans, because they are in midseason form and look like they have been cheering on an NHL club for decades.

Utah battled the Blackhawks to a 5-2 victory that was closer than it looked on paper, and the Delta Center – complete with its obstructed-view seats – absolutely rocked from the ceremonial puck drop to the end of the game.

A sellout crowd of 11,131 – which, even though the team’s home barn, the Delta Center, is the smallest in the NHL, is still more than double the number of people that could fit in Mullett Arena, where the Arizona Coyotes spent their last two seasons.

We have to highlight a few fans who were so into the game that they decided to do some shoeys.

Just look at that. I wasn’t sure what the beer situation was like in Utah. I got the impression they were just drinking soda with Pop-Rocks and gummy bears in it. Maybe these two guys are from out of town, but these are some veterans.

Those aren’t the biggest shoes in the world, and that one guy spilled most of his brewski on himself, but it’s the thought that counts.

“We could feel the energy, and we’re just happy that we could give them a game like that,” Dylan Guenther – who scored the team’s first goal – told Sportsnet after the game.

I think Utah will prove to be a tough place to play. The fans are clearly going wild, but the way the arena is laid out is quite strange and can disrupt the opponents’ sense of where they are on the rink.

Since games at the Delta Center will be a first for most teams visiting this season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Utah post a solid home record.