Arizona Coyotes’ Andre Tourigny impressed with team’s resiliency amid Utah relocation talks

Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny’s squad showed up with two big wins over some of the NHL’s best amid a firestorm of relocation talk, most recently a 3-2 overtime victory in Edmonton over the Oilers on Friday.

The team was told pregame it would be relocated to Utah, according to reports. Tourigny was the only member of team personnel to meet with the media postgame, and he hoped the conversation could stay on the ice.

“I won’t make any comment other than on the game,” Tourigny began. “If you have questions on the game, I would love to answer.”

However, he immediately praised his group’s resiliency to fight through the last several days and everything that has come with them.

“The guys are unbelievable … we played rock solid in terms of structure and focus, so I’m really proud of the boys,” the coach said.

“We’ve been through adversity. The first time that rumor came around, we didn’t manage it well,” Tourigny said, referencing the team’s 14-game losing streak that started in January.

The team rallied around the adversity this time, coming up with the two big wins.

“It’s cool to feel that, it’s cool to see them cheering (for) each other and pushing in the same direction like that. It’s a great feeling,” said Tourigny.

He added that in his eyes, the win over Vancouver on Wednesday was “a little bit more emotional” than the win on Friday because of the freshness of the relocation talk at the time.

“I think today was more composed and under control,” Tourigny said.

“(The last two games) showed our character, it showed how much the guys care for each other. I think we have a great brotherhood in that room, they love each other and they care for each other,” Tourigny said.

“There has never been a doubt, but I think it showed in that kind of situation. They had all the excuses to pack it in and just go with the flow, and they showed a lot of character, and I cannot be more proud of them.”