Just days after Utah’s players completed their exit interviews, it was André Tourigny’s turn at the podium on the morning of April 21.

To open his interview, Tourigny spoke about how Utah Hockey Club improved this season, saying the group “took a lot of steps.”

He specifically highlighted improvements on defense, game management, top-10 statistical categories, and handling pressure with bot tight games and the new fan environment.

He referenced the team’s stronger home record in the second half of the season serving as proof of that growing comfort.

Tourigny also expressed appreciation for the team’s growth, especially considering Utah is the second-youngest team in the league. While he emphasized the need to keep improving, he acknowledged that just a few years ago, when the team was still rebuilding, the focus was simply on finding good players.

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Now, Utah has grown into a near-playoff-caliber team and is in a position to target specific areas for improvement and specific plaeyrs.

"We're not satisfied by any means, but we recognize the progress, we recognize what's been done," said Tourginy. "We will keep getting better with our process."

But while Tourigny hinted at looking at areas of growth, he also stayed tight lipped on where Utah could look to improve.

"I'm not sure that's for the public," said Tourigny. "I don't want GM and the coach on the other sdie to know what we're looking for."  

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Along with that, Tourginy also touched on: 

• His gratitude for the fans—their warm welcome, enthusiasm, and support—as well as appreciation for ownership and how well they treated the team. He also was grateful for the discipline and commitment the players had with the game.

• The continuing evolution of the NHL, noting how competitiveness and the urgency to win are showing up earlier in the regular season.

• Karel Vejmelka's growth into a more consistent and sustainable goalie as the biggest improvement he's had.

• And the challenge of balancing the business and personal sides of coaching, especially in the case of Michael Carcone, ultimately saying it's a good problem to have limited playing time to distribute, as it reflects the team’s overall improvement.

To close the interview, Tourigny spoke about appreciating every stage of the game, from the rebuilding process in Arizona to the more competitive team in Utah that can now win simply by executing its game plan.

"We know we are getting better and it's exciting," said Tourginy. 

With Tourigny not planning to attend the World Championship, instead focusing on following this year’s NHL playoffs, scouting, and preparing for next season with his staff, he’s looking forward to getting the personal time he didn’t get last year amid all the chaos, planning to visit family spread across Quebec.