Year 1 in the Wasatch Mountain Range is coming to a close for the Utah Hockey Club, a team whose recent history has been turbulent at best. Yes, the artists once known as the Arizona Coyotes took the ice in front of a ready and raring fanbase, and performed in a way that would’ve made fans in the Sonoran Valley jealous.
But Utah looked good in every aspect, from their instant-classic rock black and mountain blue uniforms to their youngsters, giving fans hope that the playoffs are just a season away. Personally, I went into the 2024-25 season knowing the playoffs were a wash, and growth would determine Utah’s success.
Fortunately for this still-young hockey club, growth is what they got. Now, anything less than a playoff appearance next season will be a failure. But if the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues can contend, why can’t they? That’s a question they’ll need to answer next season. But wow, you couldn’t ask for a better foundation.
Utah Hockey Club is just getting started and they’re going nowhere fast
Clayton Keller impressed most fans, but I want to talk more about Logan Cooley, who possesses a higher upside. Cooley, in only his age-20 season, has had 65 points and 25 goals through 74 games. With one more game left in the queue as I write this on Tuesday evening, Cooley could add to his points total.
Cooley’s success also means this franchise has cornerstones for the first time since the Coyotes legendary 2011-12 season. Yeah, it’s been a minute, but Keller, Cooley, Mikhail Sergachev, and Karel Vejmelka look ready to roll as 2024-25 fades and the fans brace themselves for an unforgettable 2025-26 campaign.
Overall, we saw a not-too-shabby team, but again, that’s something we all expected heading into 2024-25 as this unit did all it could to erase its checkered past as the Coyotes. I mean, other than Shayne Doan and some awesome uniforms, what else was there?
Utah Hockey Club still has work to do as offseason looms
What does Utah need if they want to break into the Central Division’s top five? For one, they need one more player capable of putting up at least 20 goals. Only five players achieved that feat this season, and it’s not enough if they want to break into the top 10 in scoring, or at least grace the top 15. The latter will entrench them into the same league as many playoff contenders, so the scoring must pick up a notch.
Utah also let themselves get outmuscled way too many times, having landed just 1,448 hits in 81 games, or 17.8 per game. Not an awful number, but if Utah wants opponents to take them seriously, adding muscle to the lower lines will leverage the intimidation factor.
So, it was a good dress rehearsal season for a team that should find itself under a different moniker next season. But with that new identity, it should have a group capable of giving the franchise its first-ever playoff berth, especially if a team or two in the Central take that dreaded step back.