SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – It was a day nobody will soon forget.

Salt Lake City opened its arms for its new NHL team, and the players and coaches were blown away by all the love and support.

The day started at the airport where some 2,500 hockey-crazed kids greeted the team, moving them to literal tears.

“You could see the joy in their faces when they saw the kids,” said general manager Bill Armstrong. “I don’t know if the kids will ever understand how much that meant to the players. I almost had a tear in my eye coming down, just seeing those kids chanting. The enthusiasm, it tugs at your heart.”

“It’s an honor,” said left winger Lawson Crouse. “It’s something that we’re now a part of history, and not too many people get to say that they can do this.”

Then it was over to the Delta Center where the party really started rocking. Over 13,000 fans packed the arena, with thousands more turned away at the door. Any apprehension about fan support in Utah for an NHL team was quickly alleviated.

“You guys are amazing,” center Barrett Hayton told the crowd. “I can’t thank you more for showing out, and we look forward to showing up for you guys in October.”

“Thank you guys all for showing up,” said center Alex Kerfoot. “This is honestly one of the coolest experiences I think we’ve all had is as hockey players. You guys are the best.”

But the new fan favorite has to be the man they call Spicy Tuna, center Liam O’Brien, who could not hold back his excitement.

“Let’s go!” he said. “My name’s Liam O’Brien, but you guys can call me Spicy Tuna. I cannot wait to get this place buzzing! Let’s go!”

“I think the energy you give us today, we cannot wait to feed off your energy next year,” said head coach Andre Tourigny. “I’m already excited.

“Just to know how passionate the Utah fans are, we want to rev it up in here.” Armstrong said. “We want to become the loudest building in the NHL.”

As for the team these fans will be cheering for, the are young, high-scoring and out to end a 4-year playoff drought.

“We’re in the fourth year of the rebuild,” Armstrong said. “So what fans are going to get from this team is an exciting, young team that can score goals. I think we had six 20-goal scorers last season.”

“I do believe we’re we’re a playoff team,” added leading scorer Clayton Keller, who had 33 goals last season. “We have a lot of great players in all positions, and we have depth. I think we’re a fast, skilled team and we can play with anyone.”

So just how special was this day for the team?

“This will be my seventh year in the NHL,” Tourigny said. “And I said to my wife, I think this is my best day in the NHL so far.”

“I just want to say on behalf of the whole team, how amazing this whole experience is for us,” added center Nick Bjugstad. “So thank you, guys.”