NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 20: Post Malone performs onstage at the Class of 2024 Medallion Ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on October 20, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)
(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)
SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah Hockey Club battled the Dallas Stars at Delta Center on Monday night in a high-intensity game with a rocking atmosphere. Among the 11,131 hockey fans in attendance was a beloved local.
Rumors started circulating early in the night that Grammy nominee and Utah resident Post Malone was in the building to support Salt Lake’s newest franchise.
In the third period, Post Malone was shown on the broadcast and jumbotron taking in the game next to Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club owner Ryan Smith.
Post Malone is in the building!#UtahHC https://t.co/jQr4cFi9eY
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 3, 2024
During Utah’s push late in the third period, he was even spotted banging a drum during the “Let’s Go Utah” chant. Delta Center also acknowledged the hit singer’s presence with a Post Malone sing-along during a timeout.
Posty out here banging on the drum.#UtahHC https://t.co/E0ueZ0wbLK
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) December 3, 2024
The Utah Hockey Club took on the red-hot Dallas Stars at Delta Center before heading on the road for two games. Utah failed to defend their home ice against a Dallas team that has now won eight of their last ten games.
The first period was full of scoring chances but Utah was unable to get past Casey DeSmith, who is Jake Oettinger’s backup, making just his seventh appearance of the season. Despite outshooting the Stars, Utah was stonewalled. After one, this high-intensity Central Division matchup was a scoreless tie.
Dallas broke through seven minutes into the second period with a goal from Evgenii Dadonov on the power play. It seemed that the penalty box was occupied for the entirety of the period as the two teams both paid visits multiple times. Utah’s hole got deeper just before the second intermission when Jamie Benn put Dallas up by two with less than a minute to go in the period.
Utah pushed the envelope in the third, pressing Dallas’ defense to find scoring opportunities. Nick Schmaltz finally broke put the home team on the board with a wrist shot, leaving Utah with more than half of the period to close the gap. However, the Stars’ man in goal held strong as Dallas escaped Salt Lake with a 2-1 despite being outshot by 14.
Tanner Tripp is a sports writer for KSL Sports covering all teams across the state of Utah. Follow him on X @tanner_tripp and Instagram @tanner.tripp here.
