As suddenly as it came about, the first season in Utah Hockey Club history has come to an end.
Although the team didn’t make the playoffs off the bat, it came close — and nearly every player showed significant signs of improvement.
There’s no doubt that the team is trending in the right direction. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes perennial playoff contenders, and it’s not out of the question that the Stanley Cup could take a trip to Salt Lake City in the not-too-distant future.
And just think: A calendar year ago, Utah didn’t have an NHL team at all.
For now, enjoy reliving some of the best moments of Utah HC’s inaugural season.
First preseason game
I’ll always remember Sept. 23, 2024, as the first day of my eventual hearing loss. Every UHC game has been loud, but that one was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
Utah had hosted preseason games before, but never involving a team with the state’s name across its jerseys. It was a triumph unlike any other for local hockey fans, many of whom probably never thought they’d ever see an NHL team in their backyard.
And a game-winning goal, 19 seconds into overtime, from the captain? They couldn’t have scripted it any better.
Regular season home opener
Like that first preseason contest, Utah’s inaugural regular season game was what sports are all about: fun.
It started with a party on the plaza outside the Delta Center, complete with games, food trucks, live music from a major, current artist and a military flyover.
Once that party was over, the real one started inside the arena. Fans had paid good money for their tickets, and they made it count by cheering their absolute hearts out.
It also didn’t hurt that Utah snagged a 5-2 win.
6-5 win at MSG
There are few places in the world that are more fun to be at on a Saturday night than Madison Square Garden, regardless of the event that’s going on. But to be there for the New York Rangers’ opening night was especially cool.
It was perhaps the most high-octane game of the season: seven goals (plus a disallowed one) in the second period alone; two simultaneous fights; an all-time call from iconic referee Wes McCauley.
Michael Kesselring, a combatant in one of the fights, recalled that as one of his highlights of the season.
“That was cool in MSG, knowing all the UFC fights that go on there,” Kesselring said.
And, again, captain Keller ended it in overtime with a beautiful goal.
All the OT wins
You’ve probably noticed a theme: Overtime wins are exciting. Here are a few more.
- Dylan Guenther’s winner with less than a second left
- Guenther’s subsequent winner the next game
- Kesselring’s goal against his hometown Boston Bruins
- Mikhail Sergachev against one of their closest competitors, the Vancouver Canucks
- Sergachev against the Montreal Canadiens, who drafted him in 2016
Vejmelka’s 49-save win over Hurricanes
Utah’s proper introduction to Karel Vejmelka didn’t come until mid-November, but it came in style. It was just his fourth start of the season, and in the previous three games combined, his team had managed to score just one goal in front of him.
Vejmelka, along with his teammates, killed off 11 minutes of Carolina Hurricanes power play time to hang on for a 4-1 win. Vejmelka made 49 saves, earning first-star honors and his first round of “Veggie” chants.
Looking back, it’s crazy to think about how little-known Vejmelka was at the time. He eventually took home the trophy as the team’s MVP, starting 23 consecutive games down the stretch.
The people know him now.
Keller’s bloody triumph vs. Jets
Entire books could be written about all of Keller’s triumphs this season, but perhaps the most notable was his injury and subsequent return against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 20.
Keller took a deflected shot to the forehead early in the second period. He went to the locker room, got a face full of stitches and came back, scoring two goals (though the credit for the first one was eventually switched to Olli Määttä).
Utah won that game, thanks, in huge part, to Keller’s heroics.
And many more
What did we miss? Tell us your favorite Utah HC moments, either in the comment section of this article or on social media.