Utah Hockey Club's prospects circle up for a drill during rookie camp (Photo by KSL Sports).
(Photo by KSL Sports)
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.
Away we go.#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/SoMdFmF2P1
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 12, 2024
Here are the instant takeaways from day two of camp.
Stepping into the second day of rookie camp provided a better look at the team’s collection of goaltenders as they executed a few odd-man-rush and powerplay drills. During these reps, Utah Hockey Club prospect and Tucson Roadrunners goaltender Anson Thornton was very impressive.
Throughout most of the drills, Thornton didn’t allow very many pucks past him and was excellent on both his glove and blocker sides. He also defended most rebounds well and even robbed a forward right in the crease with his glove, fully outstretched to stop a would-be goal right on the doorstep.
In response, his teammates on that side of the ice applauded him by hitting their sticks on the ice.
Thornton’s day two performance even caught the attention of Roadrunner’s head coach Steve Potvin who shared that he was a standout from today’s practice.
As for where Thornton will suit up this season, it’s anticipated that he’ll spend more time with Tucson. However, it won’t be a surprise if he requires a bit more time at the ECHL level.
After primarily focusing on Maveric Lamoureux and Cole Beaudoin yesterday, day two presented an opportunity to focus more on other players like Sam Lipkin and Julian Lutz.
For Lipkin, he drew a lot of attention from the coaching staff during several drills and appeared to uphold his assignments.
In those moments he demonstrated good spacing, saw the ice well, and delivered a lot of good passes. On one particular play he sent a really nice saucer pass across the slot to an open teammate while on another, he dropped it off behind the net while pressured to keep the play alive inside the offensive zone.
Following a solid year at Quinnipiac University with 35 points and 39 games, he should spend most of this season in Tucson with the Roadrunners.
As for Lutz, he’s simply a playmaker and demonstrated that a few times throughout camp. He is really intentional with his positioning and often creates sizable space for himself and others. He’s also great with the puck and showed a lot of patience as he waited for plays to develop.
Last season he had 68 points in 50 games for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. It’s anticipated he’ll spend this season with Tucson.
For first round draft selections Maveric Lamoureux and Cole Beaudoin, expectations were high coming into this camp, and they did not disappoint.
Beaudoin vs Lamoureux#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/qAiaxjZfDQ
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 12, 2024
Play after play, drill after drill, those two were the clear standouts and made things happen. For Lamoureux it’s a combination of his towering size and ability to skate so well while making an impact offensively. For Beaudoin, it’s his unwillingness to quit and consistently finding ways to put pucks in the back of the net.
Maveric Lamoureux with an absolute bar down snipe from just above the blue line. There’s a lot to like about this guy.#UtahHockeyClub #NHL
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 12, 2024
Following their impressive efforts, coach Potvin named them the clear standouts from rookie camp.
Tuscon Roadrunners HC Steve Potvin on who stood out during rookie camp 👀#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/U25gcyN4rm
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 12, 2024
“I think Maveric Lamoureux really stood out. He’s a standout. He’s taken information and you can see he’s willing to work…I really like Beaudoin. He’s got a lot of leadership qualities. Again, another player that’s intentional and he has good character. He’s a good character person and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do,” Potvin said.
Additionally, without Tij Iginla this weekend, these two will certainly lead the charge for the club during the Rookie Faceoff Tournament.
Related: Tij Iginla Will Not Play In Rookie Faceoff Tournament
Fans can watch these prospects in their 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.
