The National Hockey League played its first three regular season games for the 2024-25 season in the United States on Tuesday. Among the games played was the very first NHL game for the Utah Ice Hockey Club. In an impressive performance, Utah defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah Ice Hockey Club moved from Arizona on April 18. The franchise had been based in the Phoenix region since the 1996-97 season.
Who contributed for Utah?
Utah was led by Dylan Guenther of Edmonton, Alberta who scored twice. The right winger who played his junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, is one of four players in the NHL to score twice so far this season. The other three are Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett of Holland Landing, Ontario, St. Louis Blues right winger Jordan Kyrou of Toronto, Ontario, and New Jersey Devils center Paul Cotter of Canton, Michigan.
Guenther opened the scoring at 4:56 of the first period from defenseman Michael Kesselring of Florence, South Carolina and center Logan Cooley of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For Kesselring it was his 25th point. He is second all-time in NHL history in points for players born in South Carolina. He is only behind Minnesota Wild right winger Ryan Hartman of Hilton Head Island, who has 278 career points.
Guenther then put Utah up 4-2 with 42 seconds left in the third period into an empty net. The insurance goal came from defenseman Sean Durzi of Mississauga, Ontario, and Cooley.
In all, four players on Utah had a multi-point game. In addition to Guenther and Cooley, center Barrett Hayton of Peterborough, Ontario and center Nick Schmaltz of Madison, Wisconsin achieved the feat. Hayton had one goal and one assist, while Schmaltz had two assists. The other two Utah goal scorers were Lawson Crouse of Mount Brydges, Ontario and captain Clayton Keller of Chesterfield, Missouri.
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