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Utah Winger Named First Star of Week

The Utah Hockey Club's first season is off to a fantastic start.

Jon Alfano

Oct 10, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; Utah Hockey Club right wing Dylan Guenther (11) celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Oct 10, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; Utah Hockey Club right wing Dylan Guenther (11) celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It's hard to ask for better start in the NHL than the one the Utah Hockey Club is having.

In its first season since relocating from Arizona (technically a different franchise but essentially the same), Utah is a perfect 3-0 through the first week. A 5-3 home victory over the Chicago Blackhawks is a good start, but back-to-back overtime wins over the New York Islanders and New York Rangers show that this team isn't messing around in its first season. Time will tell how long Utah can keep this up, but it's been an incredibly fun ride to start off.

Through the first few games of Utah's history, no one has impressed more than right winger Dylan Guenther. The 21-year-old forward currently leads the entire league with five goals, and he's come up with some huge moments as well. He scored the first goal in Utah history in the first period against the Blackhawks, as well as the overtime winner against the Islanders.

After a fantastic opening in Salt Lake City, the NHL named Guenther its First Star of the Week on Monday.

Guenther, the No. 9 overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2021, really began to come on late last season. In 45 games with the Coyotes, the Edmonton native scored 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points. That showed Utah that he was indeed for real, and he received an eight-year extension worth $57.14 million ($7.14 million AAV) this offseason to keep him in Salt Lake City through 2033.

Guenther and the team as a whole have enjoyed a terrific start to the season, but they have bigger goals in mind.

“I think we have a deep team,” Guenther said after Thursday's win over the Islanders, per NHL.com. “Something we take pride in is having four lines that can roll over, keep going, and hem teams in. Throughout the game, we felt pretty confident getting opportunities, and it's one of those things where we got belief in each other in that room. So when you go down, it's pretty easy to come back.”

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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