SALT LAKE CITY – With the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season right around the corner, it’s time for fans to begin familiarizing themselves with the roster to better understand who will be putting on the Utah sweater and what to expect from Nick Bjugstad when the puck officially drops in Salt Lake City in October.
Moving onto one of the team’s most experienced veterans, Nick Bjugstad is the next player profile to help fans get to know the Utah Hockey Club roster.
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Bjugstad is a 32-year-old center from Blaine, MN. Now in his second stint with the franchise, Bjugstad is one of the most experienced players on the team as he’s played in the NHL since the 2012-13 season.
During that time, he’s been a member of the Florida Panthers (2012-2018), Pittsburgh Penguins (2018-2020), Minnesota Wild (2020-2022), Arizona Coyotes (2022-2023) and Edmonton Oilers (2023) before returning to the franchise last season.
A native of Blaine, MN, Bjugstad played for his local high school from 2007 to 2010, leading the team to three consecutive Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournaments. He was also named Mr. Hockey for 2009–10 season.
Following high school, Bjugstad stayed home and played for the University of Minnesota for three years. During his time with the Golden Gophers, he recorded 54 goals, 44 assists and won two WCHA championships.
In 2013, he was finally called up to the Florida Panthers who selected him No. 19 overall in the 2010 draft.
Stepping into his 13th season, Bjugstad has a plethora of experience with several different clubs. For the majority of his career, he was a primary piece of the Florida Panthers before being traded to Pittsburgh and playing alongside future Hall of Famer’s Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. From there, he’s been on the move quite a bit over the last few years, playing for Minnesota, Arizona, Edmonton and then back to Arizona.
While he struggled to produce over the last few seasons, Bjugstad finally found his groove with the Coyotes last year as he recorded 22 goals (tied for third-most on the team) and 23 assists.
Standing 6-foot-4, Bjugstad is a towering center with great size. He’s also a good two-way player with a high hockey IQ that has developed over his long NHL career. As demonstrated by his goal total last season, Bjugstad has a great shot and created some solid chemistry with his teammates as his assists total was the second-most in a season for his career.
Bjugstad is projected to join Matias Maccelli and Josh Doan on the team’s third line this season. Alongside Maccelli, Bjugstad should light the lamp quite a bit during the upcoming campaign as he plays with the team’s second-leading assist leader. It’ll also be interesting to see how Josh Doan develops if he does make the roster and plays with a veteran like Bjugstad this season.
Here is where fans can follow Bjugstad on his X and Instagram account.
Fans can watch Bjugstad’s first game with the Utah Hockey Club on October 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Click here for the full schedule.
