Fans flocked to Utah HC's 5-2 win over Chicago in its home opener in Salt Lake City, which will also host the 2034 Olympic hockey tournaments.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Lucas Aykroyd
The Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC) has launched in Hollywood-worthy style.
On Tuesday, the former Arizona Coyotes franchise enjoyed a fresh start in Salt Lake City with a 5-2 season-opening win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The towel-waving sellout crowd, including a season-ticket base of about 8,500, went home happy from the Delta Center.
Young stars with gleaming IIHF pedigrees set the tone. Dylan Guenther, who scored Canada’s 3-2 overtime winner against the Czechs in the 2023 World Junior final in Halifax, maintained his tradition of big goals. The 21-year-old Utah HC forward tallied twice, including the first goal in franchise history at 4:56.
On Tuesday, the former Arizona Coyotes franchise enjoyed a fresh start in Salt Lake City with a 5-2 season-opening win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The towel-waving sellout crowd, including a season-ticket base of about 8,500, went home happy from the Delta Center.
Young stars with gleaming IIHF pedigrees set the tone. Dylan Guenther, who scored Canada’s 3-2 overtime winner against the Czechs in the 2023 World Junior final in Halifax, maintained his tradition of big goals. The 21-year-old Utah HC forward tallied twice, including the first goal in franchise history at 4:56.
Newly minted Utah HC captain Clayton Keller – who with the U.S. became the 2016 U18 Worlds MVP and added 2017 World Junior gold in Montreal – added a single. Barret Hayton, who captained Canada to the 2020 World Junior title, scored the eventual winner near the midway mark, while goalie Connor Ingram looked dialed in with 24 saves.
"It was a super-fun game to be a part of," Keller said. "The fans were awesome. We couldn't be more excited to play in front of them for the rest of the year."
Connor Bedard, Chicago’s reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner at 19, was held goalless despite a game-high five shots, but assisted on goals by Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Foligno. Bedard – a 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship debutant – owns U18 gold (2021) and a pair of World Junior titles (2022, 2023). That latter gold propelled the Canadian superstar to the inaugural IIHF Male Player of the Year award with a Canadian-record 23 points.
Overall, Tuesday’s win was a solid, disciplined, and opportunistic debut for Utah HC. By major-league standards, the rollout and reception in Salt Lake City was quite remarkable given that the team was only sold back on 18 April. The buzz in the “Beehive State” is palpable.
"It was a super-fun game to be a part of," Keller said. "The fans were awesome. We couldn't be more excited to play in front of them for the rest of the year."
Connor Bedard, Chicago’s reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner at 19, was held goalless despite a game-high five shots, but assisted on goals by Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Foligno. Bedard – a 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship debutant – owns U18 gold (2021) and a pair of World Junior titles (2022, 2023). That latter gold propelled the Canadian superstar to the inaugural IIHF Male Player of the Year award with a Canadian-record 23 points.
Overall, Tuesday’s win was a solid, disciplined, and opportunistic debut for Utah HC. By major-league standards, the rollout and reception in Salt Lake City was quite remarkable given that the team was only sold back on 18 April. The buzz in the “Beehive State” is palpable.
Pre-game, a lively fan festival packed the streets around the Delta Center. Photo ops abounded with a live Shaboozey concert, a giant Utah HC jersey and an oversized NHL logo commemorating the historic opener, and a mascot-and-cheerleader-led grand entrance for the Utah HC players. The ceremonial opening faceoff hit new heights as 213-cm NBA star Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz joined team owners Ryan and Ashley Smith at centre ice.
Salt Lake City also occupies a special place in the IIHF’s history – and its future.
In 2034, the mountain-ringed Utah capital will become the first city to host the Winter Olympics twice in the 21st century. St. Moritz (1928, 1948), Lake Placid (1932, 1980), and Innsbruck (1964, 1976) enjoyed that distinction in the 20th century.
It will be hard to top the thrilling hockey played in Salt Lake City in 2002, especially if you’re a Canadian fan.
Under executive director Wayne Gretzky, the Canadian men ended a 50-year Olympic gold medal drought at the E Center (now the Maverik Center) with a 5-2 win over the host U.S., led by all-time legends like Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, and Jarome Iginla. Meanwhile, the Canadian women earned their first Olympic title ever, edging their American archrivals 3-2 with future Hall of Famers like Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, and Danielle Goyette.
Salt Lake City also occupies a special place in the IIHF’s history – and its future.
In 2034, the mountain-ringed Utah capital will become the first city to host the Winter Olympics twice in the 21st century. St. Moritz (1928, 1948), Lake Placid (1932, 1980), and Innsbruck (1964, 1976) enjoyed that distinction in the 20th century.
It will be hard to top the thrilling hockey played in Salt Lake City in 2002, especially if you’re a Canadian fan.
Under executive director Wayne Gretzky, the Canadian men ended a 50-year Olympic gold medal drought at the E Center (now the Maverik Center) with a 5-2 win over the host U.S., led by all-time legends like Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, and Jarome Iginla. Meanwhile, the Canadian women earned their first Olympic title ever, edging their American archrivals 3-2 with future Hall of Famers like Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, and Danielle Goyette.
For the new NHL team, there is room to set a higher standard. The Coyotes never fared better than losing the 2012 Western Conference finals to the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Realistically, Utah HC is unlikely to match the 2018 Vegas Golden Knights by marching to the Stanley Cup finals in its first year in a new city. But under head coach Andre Tourigny – the architect of Canada’s last two Worlds gold medals (2021, 2023) – there is certainly a chance to secure a playoff berth.
"It’s always nice to start off well and for us to continue to build and to try to make the playoffs,” Guenther said. “It’s important for us to have a good start to the season."
Growth in American hockey at all levels continues, including the announcement at the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress in Rhodes, Greece that the U.S. will host the 2027 and 2029 U18 Worlds. Salt Lake City’s NHL entry is another part of that.
The ripple effect from Gretzky’s getting traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 continues, as Salt Lake City joins the likes of Anaheim, Colorado, San Jose, Seattle, and Vegas out West. Should the day arrive when Utah celebrates a Stanley Cup, it will indeed be a great one.
This state is already famous as a filming location for classic Western movies like Stagecoach and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And if the U.S. wins Olympic gold on home ice here for the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid, there could be another hit movie in the making. Having an NHL franchise in Utah is a nice scene-setter.
"It’s always nice to start off well and for us to continue to build and to try to make the playoffs,” Guenther said. “It’s important for us to have a good start to the season."
Growth in American hockey at all levels continues, including the announcement at the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress in Rhodes, Greece that the U.S. will host the 2027 and 2029 U18 Worlds. Salt Lake City’s NHL entry is another part of that.
The ripple effect from Gretzky’s getting traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 continues, as Salt Lake City joins the likes of Anaheim, Colorado, San Jose, Seattle, and Vegas out West. Should the day arrive when Utah celebrates a Stanley Cup, it will indeed be a great one.
This state is already famous as a filming location for classic Western movies like Stagecoach and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And if the U.S. wins Olympic gold on home ice here for the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid, there could be another hit movie in the making. Having an NHL franchise in Utah is a nice scene-setter.