The Utah Hockey Club can build off of what looks like a lax December 2024, assuming they can win the games they’re supposed to win. Let’s assume for a second that they will see their fair share of struggles in October and November but will righten the ship in December. Where will that leave them when 2024 fades into 2025?
I’ll say this much: Just by looking at the schedule, Utah seems to be in for a random month, playing teams they should beat and those they may struggle against in literally almost every other game.
Rundown of the Utah Hockey Club’s schedule for January 2025
- January 2nd, 7:00 PM at Calgary Flames
- January 4th, 6:00 PM at Dallas Stars
- January 8th, 8:00 PM vs. Florida Panthers
- January 10th, 7:00 PM vs. San Jose Sharks
- January 11th, 7:00 PM vs. NY Islanders
- January 14th, 7:00 PM vs. Montreal Canadiens
- January 16th, 7:00 PM vs. NY Rangers
- January 18th, 7:00 PM vs. St. Louis Blues
- January 20th, 7:30 PM vs. Winnipeg Jets
- January 23rd, 6:00 PM at Minnesota Wild
- January 24th, 6:00 PM at Winnipeg Jets
- January 26th, 3:00 PM at Ottawa Senators
- January 29th, 7:30 PM vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
- January 31st, 7:00 PM vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Source: NHL.com - All times Mountain Standard
Utah Hockey Club may have a turbulent January 2025 with a random schedule
The key word is may, because of a homestand that stretches from January 8th to January 20th, and it’s one that stretches for seven straight games. As you can see, it won’t start off easy, with Utah facing the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers to kick off that stand while the Islanders, Rangers, and Jets also look threatening.
Utah will also face off with the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues in that stretch, and if they can score a convincing win there, who knows where that potential renewed momentum will take them? They can also steal a road win at the beginning of the month against the Calgary Flames before traveling to Dallas and once again facing the Stars - but again, win big in Calgary, and let that momentum take you to Dallas.
The month will end with three road games at Minnesota, Winnipeg, and Ottawa, where two of those three teams look weak, before they return to Salt Lake City for a pair of contests vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets. Once again, we’re looking at two weak hockey teams, so Utah, should they play well in December and build some early momentum in January, could be in for yet another favorable month.