At one point as Utah Mammoth management toured its biggest offseason additions, Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee, along with their families, through the practice facility Friday morning, Lee got stuck holding a door open for the entire group.
You’ve probably been in that situation before, awkwardly accepting passive thanks from anyone that glances in your direction, waiting to sneak in and catch up after everyone’s through.
In this instance, though, Lee was one of the video crew’s main targets. After several moments of insistence, he reluctantly handed the door off and scrambled through it.
Even with 923 NHL games under his belt and a $16.2 million contract in his back pocket, Lee embodies a kind, humble personality that’s sure to resonate with Utah fans — and holding the door open is a small emblem of that character.
On the ice, though, it’s a different story.
“It’s been a pain in the (butt) playing against him,” laughed Trocheck, who spent the last four seasons opposite Lee in the Battle of New York — Trocheck playing for the Rangers and Lee for the Islanders.
“Anytime for me lining up against him, I know that I’m going to have to hand him off to the D because I know I’m not moving him out of that net front. ... Great guy off the ice and then on the ice, you’re getting a competitor who’s going to play hard.”
Lee had similar marks for his rival-turned-teammate.
“Troch has always been someone that you kind of hate lining up against in a way. You know it’s going to be a tough shift. You’ve got to earn it,” he said. “And you know, he’s had a phenomenal career doing that and it’s nice we’ll be on the same side now.”
GM Bill Armstrong sees a lot of potential in the two veterans.
“Our goals have always been the same: to compete for and ultimately win the Stanley Cup,” he said at the Friday press conference. “I feel with these two players beside me, to my left, that we’re one step closer to doing that.”
Why did Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee choose Utah?
Trocheck joined the Mammoth via trade, so it wasn’t as clearcut a decision as the one Lee made, signing a three-year deal with the club.
However, as reported by the Deseret News on free agency day, Trocheck did choose to take Utah off his no-trade list for the upcoming season, with full knowledge that Armstrong and his staff were intent on acquiring him.
After spending his entire life in the Eastern Time Zone, why did he want to head west?
“Going to a team that I think can win was the most important thing for me,” he said.
“I’ve been in the league a long time and I haven’t won anything, so that’s what’s most important to me.”
He also spoke to guys about the area. He has trained in the summers with Logan Cooley since the 22-year-old was a teenager, and he won Olympic gold in February with Mammoth captain Clayton Keller.
“Hearing how awesome the organization is and how well it’s run, that was just another added bonus,” he said.
Lee was impressed with what he’s seen from the club in four games he’s played against it since the move from Arizona.
“As an opposing player the last few years, you can tell that they’re taking a step,” he said. “That game is more difficult. It’s a hard game to play. The skill’s on a different level. There’s a lot of chasing going on at times and you’ve got to catch up with some of these guys.
“... Their window is coming up and it’s open, and that was a big part of the fit for me. I wanted to come to a team that has an opportunity to win.”
What is Vincent Trocheck’s relationship with Logan Cooley like?
As mentioned, Pittsburgh natives Trocheck and Cooley have skated together in the summers for years. The two were excited to join forces.
“I wasn’t 100% sure how real (the trade) was and he was texting me every day for what felt like two weeks asking me what was going on,” Trocheck said. “Every day at the rink, we skate together in the summer. So we’d always just kind of fantasize a little bit about what it would be like to play together.
“I got to watch him grow up from a young age and watch him grow into a spectacular hockey player, and it’s exciting. I mean, I watched him when he was 12, he was skating with us and making me look bad. He still does that now, but now to be able to play with him on the same team is going to be cool.”
