Although he had only been to Utah once, Peterka immediately signed a five-year contract with the Mammoth. Peterka felt the buy-in from the organization and was eager to join its future plans.
“Just how committed the team is to win,” Peterka said on what he’s looking forward to the most. “Best example probably is the new practice facility. That also excites me the most. I played (at Delta Center) once; the atmosphere was so great. The fans felt so tight and close to the ice so it’s going to be really exciting.”
Peterka is now one of four players on the Mammoth, 26 or under, who had 60 or more points in the NHL last season. Having this strong core of young players is key to building sustained success. Peterka is another part of Utah’s plans to make the playoffs next season and bring a Stanley Cup to the Beehive State sooner than later.
“When you look at the roster, how many young players are there that are already so good,” Peterka shared. “I think timeline wise for me; it’s going to be a perfect fit. Growing together with those guys and hopefully winning a lot of games.”
His new home base, Salt Lake City, was another draw for Peterka.
“I’m actually pretty excited about the mountains there,” Peterka smiled. “I’m from Munich, that’s like one hour if you drive south, you’re in the mountains. So, growing up like that was pretty cool and I think that will feel like home then.”
Although he doesn’t know anyone on the main roster, Peterka has several ties to the organization. In addition to Julian Lutz, Peterka is friends with Maksymilian Szuber, another player in Utah’s organization. Lastly, Peterka’s friend and former Sabres teammate, Jack Quinn, played for Utah head coach André Tourigny with the Ottawa 67s.
“I talked to (Jack) Quinn actually a lot about it and he really liked him as a coach and as a person,” Peterka explained. “Said he’s a hard coach but a really, really good coach so that got me really excited. I also talked to (Tourigny) as well already. I (told him) I’m super excited and all that stuff and same for him. I think things will be good.”
It’s a new chapter for Peterka but one both he and the organization are excited for.
“I think (the contract) just shows how committed I am to Utah and how excited I am,” Peterka said. “How much I believe in that group, (what) they have going and what they’re building there. That’s why I decided to do that and (I’m) just super excited now to meet all the guys and get things going.”
