SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Hockey Club is set to play their first preseason game in franchise history on Sunday night against the St. Louis Blues in Des Moines, Iowa. Following the morning skate, the club announced which players will be lacing up their skates against the Blues.
Good morning Utah Hockey Club fans! The club plays its first ever preseason game tonight against the St. Louis Blues! Here is the group that will be traveling.
Full details on the roster will be coming shortly. pic.twitter.com/rJY33AEeBG
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 22, 2024
With a collection of players from both training groups, fans will be able to get a good look at several different collections of talent. Easily the most skilled skaters heading to Iowa are Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther and Jack McBain. From there, Michael Kesselring and Robert Bortuzzo are the blue line standouts. Additionally, new faces like Cole Beaudoin and Kailer Yamamoto will also be making their Utah debut.
Here is your first ever Utah Hockey Club preseason lineup!#UtahHockeyClub pic.twitter.com/ytnYHnwXEC
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 22, 2024
As previously mentioned, the most skilled players heading to Iowa will be forwards Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther. Fans should pay especially close attention to those players to familiarize themselves with some of the club’s premier talent and get a sense for how much they’ve progressed since last season. With the two skaters now facing a full 82-game schedule together, 2024-25 should be their best season yet.
Both Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther just have a ridiculous zip on their shots.
Those two will be fun to watch tonight.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 22, 2024
“Just competing and have fun. Try to get a few goals, play the right way and feel confident going into the regular season,” Cooley said.
Sunday’s matchup also provides an intriguing opportunity for both Beaudoin and Yamamoto.
For Beaudoin, the recently selected first-round pick has an opportunity to prove he truly belongs in a game-setting. After a solid first week of training camp, the young forward has been catching a lot of attention and could possibly be making an NHL debut much sooner than anticipated. Solidifying that opportunity begins tonight.
“Just to be able to put that jersey on and represent Utah, the new team, that would be such an honor to play in a preseason game. I’m going to compete hard, represent Utah well, and battle for the team,” Beaudoin told KSL Sports.
As for Yamamoto who is on a PTO deal, remaining in the league and finding a new home will continue to be based on how he performs in the preseason. If he can continue to build on what has already been a solid week of camp, the veteran wing might find a new contract with or Utah or another NHL team.
“I see an NHL player,” Coach Andre Tourigny said. “First of all, you can see he has experience. He grasps the concept really quickly, his skill-level is really high, but what I really love is his compete level…he has a lot of fight in him. He wins a lot of battles…he is impressive so far.”
Fans can watch the Utah Hockey Club’s first preseason game against St. Louis on SEG+. Click here for the full schedule.
