Year in Review: October

October was a busy month for Utah. From naming a new captain to the official start of the 2024-25 season, let’s take a look back at October!

Leading the Way

Ahead of the season, Utah named Clayton Keller as the first captain in franchise history. Entering his eighth full season, with two seasons as an alternate captain under his belt, the organization felt Keller was the right person to lead the team in its inaugural campaign.

“As a leader, Clayton exemplifies the values of our organization and the identity we want to build for our franchise here in Utah. Indeed, we are proud to name him the first captain in the history of Utah Hockey Club,” said Chris Armstrong, President of Hockey Operations of Utah Hockey Club. “On the ice, he leads by example as one of the game’s premier players. Off the ice, he earns the respect of his peers, coaches, and our training staff every day through his relentless desire to get the most out of himself and his teammates. He is ready for the responsibility and will be an excellent captain.”

Keller was honored to be named Captain and reflected on the privilege:

“I’m extremely honored to be named captain of Utah Hockey Club. I’m grateful for this opportunity and want to thank the entire organization for believing in me. I understand it’s a privilege to be a captain in the NHL, and a huge honor to know that management, coaches, and my teammates have the belief in me to lead this team. It's a huge responsibility and one I have prepared my whole life for. We have a room full of great leaders and together, we will work hard to achieve our goal of becoming a playoff team.”

On the Ice

After months of anticipation, Utah hit the ice for the organization’s first regular season NHL game on Oct. 8. Things kicked off with a packed pregame fan fest where Shaboozey performed for Utah’s fans. Inside Delta Center, the 2024-25 team was announced to a sold out crowd. Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen made a guest appearance and skated out to pump up the crowd. After a ceremonial puck drop with SEG Co-Founders Ryan and Ashley Smith, it was time for the main event. Five minutes into the game, Dylan Guenther scored the first goal in franchise history. In front of a packed Delta Center, Utah picked up a 5-2 win over Chicago. Guenther finished the game with two goals while Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, and Lawson Crouse each added one in the win. Not a bad way to kick off the inaugural season. Here’s what head coach André Tourigny and Keller had to say about this win:

Tourigny: “We won. That’s what I will remember. But what I will remember, I think, it’s been a hell of a journey. It’s been fabulous every step. It’s been a huge boost of energy for our team, for our players. And to hear the crowd to start the game, the presentation of the players, when we score our first goal, and when the thing get a little bit scrappy, that was just phenomenal.”

Keller: “The first preseason game we had was pretty crazy. And I think this was a whole ‘nother level. Super fun game to be a part of, the fans were awesome...We couldn't be more excited to play in front of them for the rest of the year.”

Following the season opener, Utah went east for its first road trip of the season. Thanks to overtime goals by Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller, Utah earned wins against the New York Islanders and New York Rangers to begin the season with a perfect 3-0 mark. After going 2-1-1 on the first road trip, Utah returned home to play five of its next six at Delta Center. Through 11 games in the first 23 days of the season, Utah went 5-2-4 and had points in seven of those contests.

New Faces

On Oct. 24, defenseman Maveric Lamoureux made his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche. The 29^th overall pick in the 2022 Draft scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 30 against the Calgary Flames. Lamoureux played four games in October and 15 total games during the 2024-25 season.

To add depth to the d-core after Sean Durzi’s injury on Oct. 14, Utah acquired defenseman Olli Määttä from the Detroit Red Wings. With two Stanley Cup wins under his belt, and plenty of experience, Määttä made his Utah debut on Oct. 30 and provided stability to the blueline. He was later rewarded with a three-year extension to remain in Utah.

Significant Stats

Dylan Guenther’s two goals in the season opener, including the first goal in franchise history, earned him First Star of the Week in October.

Captain Clayton Keller became the eighth player since 1992-93 to record 10 points in the first 10 games of a team’s inaugural season. Keller had five goals and five assists in that span.

Social Spotlight

If Utah needs an enforcer in the future, they know exactly the guy to turn to:

Giving Back

To wrap up the first month of the season, Smith Entertainment Group announced the SEG Foundation. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the SEG Foundation was “established to rally behind the people and causes that make Utah the amazing place it is.” Throughout the inaugural season, the All In On Utah campaign supported a different organization or cause for each month of the Utah Hockey Club and Utah Jazz seasons.

On June 11, we’ll look back at November and the first full month of the 2024-25 season!