Alex Kerfoot and Ian Cole have earned themselves another season in Salt Lake City.
The forward and defenseman signed one-year contract extensions — with a reported $3 million average annual value each — on Wednesday, Utah Hockey Club announced. Both were pending unrestricted free agents but Utah decided to keep the two veteran, depth players around.
Kerfoot was coming off of a two-year, $7 million contract he inked with the former Arizona Coyotes in July 2023. The 30-year-old is taking a $500,000 pay cut on his new extension with the Club.
“We are very pleased for Alex to remain in Utah,” general manager Bill Armstrong said in a news release. “Alex is an important leader for our group with his versatility on the ice and leadership off the ice, and we look forward to having his continued contribution as we fight down the stretch to make the playoffs.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club Logan Cooley (92) and Utah Hockey Club Dylan Guenther (11) and Utah Hockey Club Alex Kerfoot (15) celebrate the 4th goal of the night near the end of the third period, in the inaugural game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Delta Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Kerfoot has posted 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 61 games this season while playing any and all roles head coach André Tourigny has asked of him. Kerfoot is the only player on Utah’s roster who has skated on all four lines this year as he’s impacted both the top and bottom six.
On the defensive end of the ice, Kerfoot has been a penalty-kill stalwart for Utah — his 2:31 of average short-handed ice time per night is second-most on the team. The alternate captain scored the franchise’s first-ever short-handed goal on Nov. 30 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Kerfoot also leads all forwards with 45 blocked shots and 25 takeaways.
“Any time you have a chance to extend a player of Alex’s character and versatility in all situations, you seize that opportunity,” said president Chris Armstrong in a news release. “Alex is a respected voice in our locker room, and he and his wife Marissa have already made a huge impact in our community through their initiatives for young women and girls.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club defenseman Ian Cole (28) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Minnesota Wild, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
Cole signed a $3.1 million deal with the Club in July and has been a steady presence on Utah’s backend which has suffered a handful of injuries this season. The 36-year-old is averaging a career-high 20:37 of ice time a game while skating on the second pair with Michael Kesselring.
Per Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Cole’s $3 million extension comes with a $2.8 million base salary and games-played bonuses worth another $200,000.
“Ian is the consummate professional and puts his body on the line nightly for our team,” said Chris Armstrong in a release. “He has played a critical role in helping to shape the identity of our team this year through his work ethic, durability and relentless commitment.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club defenseman Ian Cole (28) looks to pass the puck as Utah Hockey Club defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98) assists during the third period of the NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.
Cole — who is a two-time Stanley Cup champion — ranks first in the league with 160 blocked shots this season and, among Utah defensemen, ranks second-most in hits with 73.
Kerfoot and Cole’s new contracts come three days after Utah inked defenseman 30-year-old Olli Määttä to a three-year, $3.5 million extension. The Club has evidently invested in its veteran leadership — who has an experience of winning — for the near future.
Michael Carcone, Nick Bjugstad, Robert Bortuzzo, Nick DeSimone and Karel Vejmelka are the remaining pending unrestricted free agents from Utah ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
