As Utah Hockey Club’s Bill Armstrong celebrated his biggest offseason acquisition, the general manager peered down the table, saw a smiling head coach, and offered a thank you tinged with apology.
“The man on the far left endured a lot of pain to get to this point,” Armstrong said, looking at André Tourigny. “I signed him as a coach … and then traded all the players. So there’s no one more happy at this press conference than coach because he’s got a chance to move into the future with a good, competitive team that’s young but can take some steps.”
It’s hard to find any fan, pundit or official who thinks the first offseason for Utah’s new NHL franchise has been anything but a smashing success. For Armstrong and Tourigny, that success has been mapped out in their minds for years.
“Before I got hired, the plan was really clear,” …