(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Utah Hockey Club hosts their first NHL draft party at the Delta Center on Friday, June 28, 2024.
Hockey has officially arrived in Utah.
The Utah Hockey Club —— known as the Arizona Coyotes before the Smith Entertainment Group bought the team in April and moved it to Utah —— will open training camp Wednesday at the Delta Center with a media day ahead of its inaugural season. On-ice training camp spans from Thursday to Oct. 5. During that stretch, Utah will narrow down its opening-night roster and compete in preseason games.
While there are a handful of players who have their spots all but secured, training camp presents the opportunity for younger prospects or on-the-brink performers to pleasantly surprise Utah’s coaching staff and earn NHL slotting come Oct. 8’s home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Here are five questions the team is facing ahead of training camp:
New Jersey Devils' John Marino, left, fights for control of the puck with New York Islanders' Kyle Palmieri (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y. Marino will be in Utah for 2024-25 after being traded in June. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
How will Utah arrange its blue line with big defensive additions?
In the 2023-24 season, the team averaged 3.1 goals per game. Scoring, most nights, was not the main issue. On the other end of the ice, however, the team gave up an average 3.34 goals against per game, revealing the holes and inexperience in its defense group.
Over the summer, general manager Bill Armstrong made three big moves to shore up his blue line.
Mikhail Sergachev was traded to Utah from the Tampa Bay Lighting in June and has the potential to be a top-pair defenseman for the club. The 26-year-old played just 34 games last season due to injury but remains a strong, steady two-way defenseman with two Stanley Cup championships on his resume.
John Marino landed in Utah in a trade from the New Jersey Devils in June. Marino, 27, had 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) through 75 games. Utah also signed veteran Ian Cole to a one-year contract at the start of free agency in July. Cole, 35, is a hard-nosed defenseman who’s a penalty-kill stalwart and a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
Beyond the new acquisitions, Utah will also see the return of Sean Durzi, who signed a four-year, $24 million contract extension with the team in June. Also back are Juuso Valimaki and Michael Kesselring, not to mention 20-year-old Maveric Lamoureux who has impressed in this year’s rookie camp. The 6-foot-6 defenseman was Arizona’s 29th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and has spent the last four seasons in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
However he pairs them, defensive options and depth are good problems for head coach André Tourigny to have.
Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) and center Ty Dellandrea, right, work to keep the puck away from Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton (29) in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Who will win Utah’s battle for center position?
Utah has options down the middle coming into the 2024-25 season. While the team’s former top center prospect Conor Geekie was traded away in the Sergachev deal, Utah is counting on a strong internal competition for the spots.
Barrett Hayton has a chance to have a breakout season. The 24-year-old pivot played 33 games for Arizona last season due to injury and had a hard time getting his scoring touch back when in the lineup. He finished the year with just 10 points (three goals, seven assists). Hayton found spurts of chemistry with forwards Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. A return of that trio could be possible in Utah.
Jack McBain, 24, is another center trying to earn a consistent keep on the NHL roster. McBain — who was traded to Arizona in 2022 — had 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) through 67 games last season. Veterans Nick Bjugstad and Alex Kerfoot both return this year, as well as rising star Logan Cooley (more on him below). Kevin Stenlund is a new addition. The 27-year-old center signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Utah in July after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in June.
With only four center positions open, some players may be moved to the wing, be kept on standby or take a lap in the AHL. A surplus of centers may be a benefit for Utah, though, as the team juggles inevitable injuries and roster adjustments throughout the season.
Arizona Coyotes' Logan Cooley, right, Michael Carcone (53) and Josh Doan arrive on the ice prior to the team's NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. The Coyotes moved to Salt Lake City in a deal that was signed less than 24 hours after the game. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
What will Logan Cooley’s sophomore season look like?
Cooley will likely be a headliner for the Utah Hockey Club for a very long time. The 20-year-old center was the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft by the Coyotes and made his NHL debut in his 2023-24 rookie season.
The University of Minnesota product had 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) for the Golden Gophers as a freshman before signing his entry-level contract with Arizona. Despite dominating the NCAA, Cooley had an expected learning curve when he got to the pros and finished his first NHL campaign with 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) through 82 games.
Cooley’s comfort and confidence grew throughout last season. Now, with his rookie run under his belt, he has room to find consistency from the very start of this year.
Which young players have a chance to make an early impact?
Forwards Josh Doan and Dylan Guenther gave the team a taste of what they’re capable of last season and will push hard to prove they’re ready and reliable for a full NHL load.
Doan is the son of Coyotes legend Shane Doan. He played 62 games with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, last season before getting called up for the last 11 games of the NHL regular season. The 22-year-old, 6-foot-1 right wing injected energy into the lineup and posted nine points (five goals, four assists) in his short stint. This year, he’s looking to limit his time in the AHL and be a difference maker for Utah.
Guenther’s story is similar. He skated in 45 games for the Coyotes in the 2023-24 season and 29 games for the Roadrunners. The 21-year-old had 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) through 45 NHL games and connected well with Cooley when they were put on the same line later in the season.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Hockey fan Dylan Malstrom shows off the hand-tufted rug he made as the Utah Hockey Club hosts their first NHL draft party at the Delta Center on Friday, June 28, 2024.
How will the relocation to Utah change the team’s vibe?
Training camp is always an exciting time of the year: opening night is around the corner, players are battling for their jobs and teams are crafting their identity. The Utah Hockey Club, however, has the added layer of playing in a new state in front of a new fan base. The team starts a fresh legacy this year, and that’s important.
Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group purchased the Arizona Coyotes on April 18 for a reported $1.2 billion. At the time, the Coyotes had just wrapped up a season played at Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena and had struggled in the standings. The future of the Coyotes throughout the 2023-24 season was a constant subject of speculation.
Yet on June 13, after transferring the Coyotes’ contracts, Utah officially joined the NHL.
Now, the team has a permanent home, name and purpose — and a new group of talent to mesh with returning players. It’s an energizing change and will likely add a heightened determination to the 64-player group starting in training camp.
