SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City's newest hockey team, the Ghostriders, is practicing at the County Ice Center in Murray as the club begins its inaugural season in the United States Premier Hockey League.
The team has some Utah representation, but the roster is mostly made up of players from across the country and around the world — with reach as far as France and New Zealand.
"Every culture is different, but hockey's the same worldwide," said Ghostriders head coach Jake Tomalak. "It's rough, it's tough, and it's fun. Majority of these guys know how to play, and it's kind of, your here for a common goal."
The bond is strong between the group, as most days are spent together both on and off the ice.
"I've enjoyed the people. All the new people from everywhere. We only have four players from Utah, so it's nice to meet everybody, and I have returning teammates too, who are awesome," said Salt Lake Ghostriders goalie Cooper White.
"There's some good guys on the team," added forward Vincenzo Sanico Potvin. "We enjoy being together. We're like a family."
The team is also bought into Tomalak and his philosophy — a driving reason players have landed in Salt Lake with the Ghostriders.
"He coached my team previously, and he's such a great coach," White said. "I just wanted to come back and play for him."
"His trust and just his confidence that he gives to me, and just offensive style of hockey and aggressive. That's my kind of hockey," said Potvin
"When you tell them to do something, and all 30 guys are rolling doing it, that's the best feeling as a coach," said Tomalak. "When you're well respected, that's what's most important, right?"
A combination of being bought into the coach and each other should be a recipe for winning — one this team hopes to see a lot of this season.
"Every coach hopes their team is a championship team. I think that we have a very hard-working team. We mesh off the ice, and that's what's most important. We mesh on the ice as well, but we're just a very hard working team," Tomalak added, "and I think we're going to be just fine. Only time will tell."
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