Utah forwards Dylan Guenther and Josh Doan took a moment to speak with the media at Friday night's draft party at Delta Center.
The Utah Hockey Club made history with the selection of Tij Iginla, son of Hall of Famer and Calgary Flames legend Jarome Iginla, at no. 6 Friday night, in what will be the first of 13 picks for the franchise in its inaugural appearance in the Upper Deck NHL Draft.
For Josh Doan, the son of fellow Hall of Famer Shane Doan, taken with the no. 37 pick in 2021, he knows exactly how that phone call feels.
"Coming into the league, it's not an easy thing," fellow Utah forward Dylan Guenther said. "You've worked your whole life for it; have fun and enjoy it."
Guenther, who was selected ninth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, added Utah is in a unique position, as they've fed off the anticipation and energy of the fans for over two months now.
The Utah fans certainly made that known Friday night; they flooded into the Delta Center seconds after the doors were opened.
In-arena host Michael Goodkind also got the crowd going while people enjoyed games and concessions on the concourse, stopping to gear up with official merchandise in the process.
"I've driven through Utah with my family since I was two years old," Doan said. "We've always circled this as a place to come to; it's awesome."
One can imagine, then, what the atmosphere will be like for Iginla and the other draft picks when the season starts in October.
"It takes a little bit for you to have that 'welcome to the league' moment," Doan stated. "That phone call is the first time you get to experience it; you've got to soak it all in."