SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural rookie camp is now officially underway, providing another look at some of the more recent draft picks and kicking off the 2024-25 season.
Here come the boys 🏒#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/07nFbUUIFo
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 11, 2024
Here are the instant takeaways from day one of camp.
Standing 6-foot-7, one would imagine that defenseman Maveric Lamoureux would certainly be a talented player, but that’s not even the half of it. In addition to his towering size, and I mean towering, he’s a phenomenal skater who moves really well for someone as big as he is.
Along with that, he reads the ice well, positions himself well and can contribute offensively. As for protecting his own zone, he is incredibly strong which he uses to his advantage to fend off forwards near the net. Several players tried, none succeeded as he easily moved them away from the crease without breaking a sweat.
He’s also smart with the way he moves his body and shields the puck when trying to clear it out of his own zone. Simply put, he’s a big guy that’s incredibly tough to beat.
Maveric Lamoureux just laid a big hit into the boards in front of me. My goodness, there was some power behind that and I don’t think that was anywhere close to what he’s capable of.#UtahHockeyClub #NHL
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 11, 2024
Fans should keep a close eye on Lamoureux as he may have the best chances of being called up to the team this season.
“Its going to be a dream come true. I’ve wanted that [to play in the NHL] my whole life and now I’ve got the chance to make it happen so now it’s just going to be about how I play,” Lamoureux said.
Related: Players To Watch During Utah Hockey Club’s Rookie Camp
As the No. 24 Overall pick this year, Cole Beaudoin was selected for his offensive skillset, but also because of how hard he works each and every shift.
During day one of camp, that was on full display as he constantly battled for every loose puck and wasn’t afraid to challenge anybody. Anytime there was a challenge to be had, Beaudoin came in hot and often won the puck.
In addition to being scrappy, he’s also a really smart player who sees the ice well and constantly has his head on swivel. It’s easy to see the gears moving no matter what area of the ice he’s in and you can tell he is calculating where he needs to be in order to have an impact. He’s also smart when it comes to puck placement as he’s patient with his passes and waits for the play to develop.
Another thing that was noticeable about Beaudoin was his vocal leadership. Multiple times throughout the session he was calling out positions and directing traffic.
“I’m just trying to make it easier for everyone else,” Beaudoin said. “Make it easier for myself, make it easier for my teammates. I want to be a leader around this team and bring that to the culture. That’s definitely something I am going to continue to bring.”
Unfortunately, one player we weren’t able to see was No. 6 Overall pick Tij Iginla. According to the club he is currently listed as day-to-day due to a lower body strain, and it doesn’t sound like he will be practicing tomorrow either.
Utah forward Tij Iginla is being evaluated and will be listed as day to day (lower body) .
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 11, 2024
Fans can watch these prospects first game with the Utah Hockey Club on September 13 against Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks during the rookie tournament. All rookie tournament games will be live streamed for free on UtahHockeyClub.com.
