Utah Hockey Club defenseman Maveric Lamoureux (10) adjusts his helmet after scoring a goal as the Utah Hockey Club and the Calgary Flames play at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. Utah won 5-1 (photo by Scott G Winterton, Deseret News).
(photo by Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – After 15 games in the NHL on a call-up with the Utah Hockey Club, defenseman Maveric Lamoureux recently returned to the Tucson Roadrunnners of the AHL. While the young prospect certainly would’ve preferred to remain in Salt Lake City, he’s grateful for the experience and looks forward to returning as soon as possible.
Related: What’s It Like To Make An NHL Debut With Utah Hockey Club?
Back in late October, Maveric Lamoureux received the call that every young hockey player dreams of.
With several unfortunate injuries to Utah’s blue line, the club called up Lamoureux from the AHL to bolster their defensive core.
Welcome to the NHL Maveric Lamoureux.#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/QpPNmKeIEo
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 25, 2024
After making his debut against the Colorado Avalanche and scoring his first-career NHL goal against the Calgary Flames just days later, Lamoureux remained with Utah until mid-January.
FIRST NHL GOAL FOR MAVERIC LAMOUREUX! 🤩
📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/egQx4kWhYc
— NHL (@NHL) October 31, 2024
In 15 total appearances, Lamoureux finished with a goal and two assists while averaging 16 minutes a night for Utah.
According to young defenseman, he was pleased with his overall performance and felt like he adjusted to the NHL without many hiccups.
“It was great.” Lamoureux said. “I feel like I got adjusted to the NHL game pretty quickly. I got in my zone, and I was confident in my game pretty quickly too.”
“I played simple. I didn’t play a complicated game. I played simple with my passes, I jumped in the rush, and I didn’t give much. Also, playing with a guy like [Ian] Cole definitely helped.”
As Lamoureux pointed out, the focus was to keep his game simple as he adjusted to the heightened speed and talent of the NHL.
This allowed the 21-year-old to remain effective and utilize his size and individual defensive skillset without getting burned.
While the coaching staff appreciated the simplicity, they also instructed Lamoureux on how he can improve his game moving forward.
“They [Utah’s coaching staff] liked how I kept it simple,” Lamoureux explained. “But what they wanted me to do more was jump in the rush, use my feet more, pass quicker, and then when I pass to jump in it and follow the play.”
After starting out simple and trying not to complicate things, playing quicker and following the puck are the next steps in becoming more effective.
So, why send him back to Tucson?
Back in the AHL, Lamoureux will be able to focus on making those improvements while also playing top end minutes.
Despite some initial frustration after hearing he was being reassigned to Tucson, Lamoureux decided to embrace the opportunity and recognized that this is a natural part of the process.
The NHL is best league in the world and most prospects require several years of development before they’re ready.
Thus, the AHL provides the perfect environment to make those critical strides.
“Playing in the NHL, it’s just part of the process,” Lamoureux said. “Coming down here is just a way to develop my game even more so that when I come up to Utah, I can play in every situation.”
“Being here, I have way more playing time. I’m playing on power play, PK, and every situation. That way I can gain a lot of confidence.”
As Lamoureux focuses on developing his game and adding roughly 15 more pounds to make sure he’s completely ready for the NHL, he’s excited for what the future holds in Salt Lake City for both him and the club.
“They’re building a winning culture. I think the rebuild is done and it’s now go-mode in aiming for playoffs and a Stanley Cup as soon as we can,” Lamoureux explained.
“I’ll get stronger. I’ll be there for the guys. I’ll be really good defensively. That’s what I’m going to bring to the team and being a pillar…a player that’s important to bring a Stanley Cup to Utah.”
The Utah Hockey Club will face the Winnipeg Jets on the road on Friday night. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.