Utah Hockey Club Begins Inaugural Season

The Utah Hockey Club will begin their inaugural season in the NHL in a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Oct 1, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Utah Hockey Club forward Kailer Yamamoto (56) and San Jose Sharks defenseman Luca Cagnoni (42) fight for control of the puck during the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

For the first time in NHL history, Salt Lake City will host a regular season game as the Utah Hockey Club begins their inaugural season. The organization, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, will welcome their divisional foes the Chicago Blackhawks to the Delta Center to open their seasons.

It's set to be a historic night for the Utah Hockey Club. Not only will the club play its first regular season game in the NHL, bringing hockey to the state of Utah, but the organization will also officially recognize their first-ever captain. Forward Clayton Keller, a member of the franchise since 2016, was named the first captain in Utah's history.

This also marks the first regular season game for forward Dylan Guenther since signing his massive contract extension. Utah signed the former first-round pick to an eight-year deal that will pay him just north of $57 million in total. Despite having less than 100 games of NHL experience, he will count for an average annual salary of $7,142,875. The 21-year-old winger had 18 goals and 35 points in 45 games last season.

Utah has a challenging test in their home opener and first regular season contest. Chicago is led by second-year phenom Connor Bedard, who is looking to lead the Blackhawks up the Central Division standings in 2024-2025. Both teams have playoff hopes, and this will be an immediate way to see if either stands out.

Something to note as Utah kicks off the season is how intense the fan base already seems to be for the new organization. The nearly 11,500-seat Delta Center is sold out for the team's home opener against the Blackhawks. According to SeatGeek, re-sale tickets for the game are a hot commodity. The highest priced seats are going for nearly $1,500 each, and the cheapest seat available is over $100.

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