Dylan Guenther was cut from the Arizona Coyotes’ opening-night roster during training camp last year.
On Tuesday — fresh off signing an eight-year, $57.14 million contract extension with the Utah Hockey Club in September — Guenther scored the first goal in franchise history at the Delta Center. He added an empty-net tally to help seal the 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah’s first-ever victory.
“You never would’ve guessed that we’d be here,” said Guenther, who started the 2023-24 season in the American Hockey League with the Tucson Roadrunners
And after going from an AHL call-up option to a top-six NHL winger, Guenther has quickly proved he’ll be here for a long time.
“New city, new state. Playing in the NHL, it’s kind of just everything I’ve ever wanted,” he said.
The 21-year-old forward opened scoring at 4:56 of the first period and was greeted by a roaring Delta Center audience.
Michael Kesselring carried the puck into the offensive zone before dropping it to Guenther in the high slot. Guenther ripped it past Chicago goaltender Peter Mrazek for Utah’s historic goal and a 1-0 lead. Logan Cooley also picked up an assist on the play.
“That building was special,” Guenther said. “That was a ton of fun to play in front of that crowd.”
Guenther occupied the right wing on the second line with Cooley and Jack McBain. The trio showed early chemistry in training camp and put it on full display Tuesday night.
“I think we have a little bit of everything on that line,” Cooley said. “We’ve got speed, we’ve got a guy that can shoot the puck. Obviously, with McBain he creates space for us, he’s always in front of the net.”
Away from the rink, Guenther and McBain have spent a lot of time together; the two are roommates. Costco and Walmart have been staples for the forwards since moving to Utah. They’ve come out with everything from inflatable pumpkins to a hot tub.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Chicago Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev (95) and Utah Hockey Club Jack McBain (22), in the inaugural game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Delta Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
“We were running low on water,” McBain said. “We went in for some sparkling water and we came out with a hot tub.”
McBain has been a welcome addition to the connection Guenther and Cooley established at the end of the last season. After getting called up from the AHL in the latter half of the 2023-24 campaign, Guenther skated in 45 NHL games and posted 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists).
It is part of what earned him a hefty contract without the experience of a full pro season. Internally, though, the deal was not a surprise to anyone.
“I’ve said it from day one, he’s a special player. He works super hard, he’s so talented and a guy I have loved playing with the last year and a half or so,” Clayton Keller said. “He’s going to be a huge part of our team and he’s a stud for sure.”
Keller predicted Guenther would be the one to score the team’s first goal.
“I just see the way he shoots the puck,” he said. “I think it was a popular pick, but it’s good to see him get the first one.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club players celebrate the goal by Clayton Keller (9), in the inaugural game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Delta Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Keller logged Utah’s second goal of the game. Nick Schmaltz — who ended the night with two assists — kept the puck in at the blue line and set up a tic-tac-toe play between him, Hayton and Keller. In his first game as captain, Keller tapped in Schmaltz’s initial shot just above the crease and put Utah up 2-0 at 13:35 of the first period.
Barrett Hayton potted one in the second period before Chicago’s Teuvo Teravainen and Nick Foligno made it a 3-2 contest by the third. Guenther’s empty-net goal and Lawson Crouse’s tip-in shot just 20 seconds later sealed the 5-2 win.
Tuesday was the first time Guenther started the year on an NHL opening-night roster, but not the last. Management, evidently, has confidence in his ability to not only lead the team on the scoresheet but play a well-rounded game in all three zones.
“People see him just as a goal-scorer. He’s way more than that. He has the puck well, he defends well, he works hard, he’s a good forechecker, he has a great stick, he’s good on the PK,” head coach André Tourigny said. “It’s not a bad thing to have that skill to shoot the puck that way, but he’s way more than just a shooter.”
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