Utah Hockey Club Names Clayton Keller Captain

The Utah Hockey Club have named their first ever captain just before the season begins.

Sep 29, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Utah Hockey Club forward Clayton Keller (9) waits for a face off during the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Utah Hockey Club entered the 2024-2025 season, their first in the NHL, one of two teams without a captain. After relocating from Arizona, Utah has plans to make waves in the Western Conference during their inaugural season. With the regular season about to begin, the team made one more big move.

In a video shared on their social media, the Utah Hockey Club named the first team captain in organization history, awarding the coveted title to forward Clayton Keller. In a jersey reveal video, the team displayed Keller in his brand new uniform, proudly sporting the "C" on his chest.

Introducing: 𝗖layton Keller pic.twitter.com/N2Z1ZbUZ8G

— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) October 4, 2024

Keller is entering his eighth full season with the organization. Arizona originally drafted the talented forward with the seventh pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. So far, he's appeared in 520 career games for the team and has consistently been a top scorer for the franchise. In those games, he's collected 166 goals and 252 assists for 418 total points.

The last two seasons have been a noticeable step forward for the 26-year-old winger. Last year he netted 33 goals and added 43 assists to finish with 76 points. The year before, he potted 37 goals, added 49 assists, and finished with 86 points. 2022-2023 was the first point-per-game campaign of Keller's career.

Keller also has some brief postseason experience with the organization. During the 2019-2020 season, the Coyotes made a slight run in the playoffs. Over nine games, he scored four goals and finished with seven points.

Now as the team's captain, Keller is hoping to lead Utah through their first season in the league with success. The team has made several moves to improve the team this summer, but naming Keller as the official leader could be the difference-making decision that pushes Utah into the playoffs.

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