First off, I want to give a big thanks to those who submitted questions for this mailbag article. I like the mix of serious and fun questions. Keep it up, everyone!
OK, let’s get started.
Utah Hockey Club team name
The fellas on the Clean Hits podcast and @GriffSoper want to know the players' opinions on the team name.
We beat reporters tried diligently to get the players to tell us which names they voted for when the survey first came out. Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t get a single player to crack.
It’s likely that the folks at Smith Entertainment Group asked the players to keep their opinions to themselves so as to not sway the vote. I know they’ve asked some media members to do the same.
Delta Center renovations
Utah Hockey Clubba wants to know if SEG is planning on renovating the Delta Center to better accommodate hockey.
The answer is yes. As far as I’m aware, they will spend at least the next two summers renovating the arena. Ryan Smith has said that as soon as the Hockey Club and the Jazz have finished their respective seasons, the construction crews will begin working.
I’m under the impression that they’re going to spend the first summer tackling one end of the arena and the next summer on the other side.
I don’t know how many weeks they’ll need to renovate each side, but if both teams miss the playoffs, they’ll have more time. If they need even longer, the NHL and NBA might consider starting both teams on lengthy road trips next season — just like the New York Islanders did in 2021-22 when their new arena wasn’t quite finished.
Joey Daccord
Robert Mason wants to know why Bill Armstrong didn’t draft Seattle Kraken standout goaltender Joey Daccord, who played his college hockey at Arizona State University, not far from where the Arizona Coyotes played at the time.
The simple answer is that Bill Armstrong was not yet the GM of the Coyotes. He took that role in 2020. Daccord was drafted in 2015. In fact, Armstrong’s predecessor, Jon Chayka, also wasn’t in office at that point. It was three regimes ago, when Don Maloney was the boss.
I’ve never spoken to Maloney, so I don’t know why he didn’t notice him. But here are a few factors to consider:
- Daccord was selected in the seventh round, 199th overall, in the 2015 draft. Every team passed on him multiple times — not just the Coyotes.
- That’s the same draft position as Tom Brady, who was also underrated as a young buck. With both Brady and Daccord, most of the credit goes to the individual for driving himself to success even when few people believed in him.
- It wasn’t even the Kraken that drafted him. That was the Ottawa Senators, who left him exposed in the 2021 expansion draft in favor of Filip Gustavsson. That means that he was even under-rated six years after being drafted (although Gustavsson is also an excellent goalie).
- While the GM typically has the final decision on all draft picks, it’s not his job to find the late-round players. The scouting staff liked another goalie, Erik Källgren, more, and that’s how they spent their seventh-round pick that year.
Utah Hockey Club vacation time
Robert Kenny asks how UHC’s players spent their time off during the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
I didn’t get the chance to ask every player, but here’s what I’ve got.
- Dylan Guenther went to Mexico. I didn’t ask where exactly.
- Michael Kesselring didn’t accompany the team back to Salt Lake City after their game in Washington, DC. Instead, he took a quick flight to Boston to visit friends and family.
- Ian Cole and his family spent a few days in Deer Valley. NHL players aren’t allowed to ski while they’re under contract, but it sounds like there’s a lot more to do there than just ski.
- Josh Doan went back to the AHL, where he scored five points in three games.
- André Tourigny flew home to Quebec to spend time with family.
- Olli Määttä and Juuso Välimäki were in Montreal and Boston for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The most important questions
Ashley Brewer, one of the most passionate Utah HC fans on X, has a burning question:
I don’t have an answer but I love the creativity. Also, while I do think we need more goalie fights in the NHL, I’m the biggest proponent of keeping the shootout. I’d rather see both on a regular basis, but that’s just me.
Last but not least, Conrad Saratoga wants to know if Dylan Guenther and Jack McBain have fixed their hot tub yet.
Guenther said it’s still broken and that it’s on McBain to fix it.