Lauri Markkanen was in awe as he skated onto the ice for the Utah Hockey Club's first ever game.
In Utah, the NBA and NHL worlds have collided.
For the Utah Hockey Club’s first game in their franchise history, Utah Jazz superstar Lauri Markkanen skated out onto the rink carrying the ceremonial puck.
It was truly a dream come true for Markkanen given his unexpected love for hockey.
“I felt like a little kid skating out into an NHL arena,” Markkanen said. “I couldn’t even dream about that.”
The Jazz and Hockey Club are both owned by Ryan and Ashley Smith as Ryan has preached for the two franchises to be a family to one another.
It seems that family mentality has started off on the right track. Markkanen even wants to teach one of his teammates how to skate.
“By the end of the season, my goal is to teach Keyonte (George) how to skate,” Markkanen said. “Next year when he comes to Finland, we’re not going to even touch a basketball.”
With basketball and hockey taking place at the same time, the people of Utah have a lot to look forward to.