SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Hockey Club defenseman John Marino broke down what it was like to get traded in June and gave his thoughts on the newest NHL team.
Marino recently joined Jay Stevens on the KSL Sports’ Utah Puck Report.
During their conversation, the new Utah HC defenseman discussed the draft day deal that sent him to the Beehive State.
Marino told Stevens that Utah wasn’t initially in the mix of teams that he thought he might get traded to. He said he’d heard trade rumors but Utah wasn’t a name that popped up until he got a call that he was officially heading to the league’s newest franchise.
On June 29, Utah acquired the defenseman via a trade with the New Jersey Devils on Day 2 of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Shortly after starting the second round, Utah general manager Bill Armstrong was active on the phones. Following a deal to get Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Utah added Marino in exchange for what would have been the franchise’s first pick of the day.
.@utahhockeyclub trades No. 49 to the @NJDevils and acquires John Marino.
The defenseman recorded four goals and 21 assists in 75 games last season.#UtahHC #NHLDraft #NHL
📷: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/dQqwIHHT6V— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 29, 2024
Along with pick No. 49, Utah sent New Jersey a second round pick in 2025. Utah also received pick No. 153 from this year’s draft in addition to Marino.
RELATED: Utah Hockey Club Trades No. 49 Pick To New Jersey Devils For John Marino
Marino said that he has a friend who played a couple of seasons for the Utah Grizzlies who told him “you’re gonna love” the Beehive State.
“He said he loved it,” Marino told Stevens. “So I’m looking forward to it.”
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Marino said that with the moves the team has made this offseason, he can tell “they want to be competitive right away.”
Last season, Marino posted four goals and 21 assists in 75 games. He also registered 41 penalty minutes. During his 328-game career, Marino has recorded 18 goals, 89 assists, and 112 PIM.
To hear Marino’s entire Utah Puck Report podcast conversation, check out the audio and video players above.
Utah Hockey Club will open its 2024 preseason schedule against the St. Louis Blues at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on September 22.
The team’s first preseason game at home will be against the LA Kings a day later on September 23.
🚨 Single-game tickets are now on sale for @utahhockeyclub's 2024-25 campaign. 🎟️#UtahHC #NHL https://t.co/Ar5KiuHLKo
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 12, 2024
Utah will begin its inaugural season as an NHL team in the fall. The team will play its home games at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
The team will host the Blackhawks for its home opener on October 8.
Kyle Ireland is a Utah Hockey Club Insider for KSLSports.com. Follow him on X (@kyleireland), Threads (@kyleirelandksl), and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
