“I think when I first came in (after the franchise moved from Arizona) we didn’t have that rink, so definitely you looked at it and I didn’t know any better, so I was kind of like, ‘Oh my God, okay, there’s a lot of work to do,” “Utah coach André “De Beer” Tourigny said Friday afternoon after his team’s practice and just before the Bruins took the ice. “And when I come back in September and walk in, I say, ‘Okay, that’s very good for a setup that will only be there for a year. I think that’s impressive.’ “

With a backdrop of Olympic rings and plaques denoting the facility’s numerous skating records, the Bruins practiced as dueling Zambonis cleared the rink that surrounded them.

“I would love to do a lap, but I don’t think that’s allowed,” he said Trent Frederikwhich is a miniErik Heiden imitation for a few steps. “It’s cool. I’ve been to a similar one in Milwaukee, but this is really cool. I think there should be more like this. That’s pretty smart, I think.”

Tourigny said he will sometimes use the oval surface when no one is training.

“We do this for rehab skating and also some skills work,” he said. “Last year we had two blades, so we’re trying to use a bit of the fast route and the short route to work on some skills and stuff.”

The overhaul of the facility included the construction of a new locker room for the home team, along with necessary training and therapy rooms.

“The facility is great. I was surprised, I thought my voice wouldn’t carry it just because there was so much openness, but that wasn’t a problem, the players could hear me. So the training went smoothly and the ice was good,” said the Bruins coach Jim Montgomerywho noted that he has no skating experience. “I asked (Brad Marchand) if he wanted to extend his pass and do a few laps.

The only downside is that the makeshift locker room is in the basement, requiring the Bruins to walk up a few flights of stairs in full gear.

“It’s a very unique facility. Kind of an odd setup to have a practice track, but it’s always cool to see something different and have the different sports people to train and interact with. It’s pretty impressive to see,” said Marchand, who noted he hasn’t walked up the stairs to practice since a youth hockey tournament in Prince Edward Island.

Sergachev ready to strike

Mikhail Sergachevwho came to Utah in a trade from Tampa Bay in the offseason, is looking forward to renewing his acquaintance with the Bruins on Saturday night at the Delta Center.

The defenseman pointed out some challenges in playing Boston presents.

“Well, they are from the top line (of Pavel Zacha, Elias LindholmAnd David Pastrnak), obviously, and now they have some good D’s and are just a good all-around team. They have a good goalkeeper,” Sergachev said. “It was always fun playing against them and going into that game you know you’re going to get hit.

“You’re going to have to play fast and get the puck out fast because they predict. To be honest, it will be fun.”

Similar approach

Montgomery sees a lot of similarities in the way Utah and Colorado play, and said speed is of the utmost importance. The Bruins opened their three-game trip that concluded Tuesday in Nashville with a 5-3 win over the Avalanche on Wednesday.

“Their speed in transition is very noticeable. They have three lines that can score,” Montgomery said. ‘So I mean we just have to check very carefully. We’re going to have to be really good at getting pucks so they have to come through us. Very similar to Colorado.

“Colorado is a speed team that caught us with some strange rushes. We gave up too many odd-man rushes last game, but for most of the game we were very good in our control.”

Marchand updates

Marchand, who missed some time early in the third period against the Avalanche, said he was “good.” … The reason the Bruins practiced at the Utah Olympic Oval was because Iron Maiden had booked the Delta Center. The English heavy metal band has been rocking since 1975 and “Hallowed Be Thy Name” remains their best work (just an opinion).

Jim McBride can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @globejimmcbride.