Utah Hockey Club News

Connor Ingram has started the last four games for Utah HC, but Vejmelka will likely start on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets. In limited action this season, appearing only three times (0-2-0), Vejmelka has a 3.04 GAA and .889 SV%. Utah HC has a .542 point percentage with a 5-4-3 record but has a -5 goal differential, allowing an average of 3.5 goals per game. Utah HC enters the action on Tuesday as +183 road underdogs against the Jets, leading the league with 22 points (11-1-0).

O'Brien will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday in favor of Juuso Valimaki as Utah HC will go with an 11-forward, seven-defensemen formation. The 30-year-old O'Brien has zero points, five penalty minutes, and 13 hits in three games this season.

Valimaki will re-enter Utah's lineup on Wednesday as the team will opt to go with an 11-forward, seven-defensemen formation. Valimaki has not played the last two games and has zero points and a -5 plus/minus in eight outings this season.

Utah HC will attempt to snap a four-game losing skid on Wednesday and turn to Ingram between the pipes. Ingram has lost four of his last five outings (1-2-2), allowing three or more goals four times, and posting an ugly .865 SV%. After a 3-0-0 start to the season, Utah has only won once in their last seven contests (1-4-2). They enter the action on Wednesday as -116 home favorites against a Calgary Flames club that has been outscored 14-5 during a three-game losing streak (0-3-0).

Kesselring has been a mainstay on Utah's blueline this season, and will play on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames despite missing practice on Tuesday due to an illness. The 24-year-old Kesselring is off to a hot start, with five points (2G / 3A) in 10 games this season.

Maata was acquired yesterday in a trade from the Detroit Red Wings to address their injuries on the blue line, namely John Marino (back) and Sean Durzi (shoulder), who are out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. Maatta, in the final year of a two-year, $3.0M AAV deal, has no points, three SOG, seven blocked shots, and three hits in seven games this season.

Utah's blueline has been shorthanded after John Marino went back surgery and Sean Durzi had shoulder surgery, so they've added an NHL-calibre defenseman to help fill the void. Maatta, who is in the final year of a two-year, $3.0M AAV deal, has no points, three SOG, seven blocked shots and three hits in seven games this season.

Kesselring has been a mainstay on Utah's blueline this season, but could be at jeopardy of missing his first game of the season on Wednesday as he is battling an illness. The 24-year-old Kesselring is off to a hot start, with five points (2G / 3A) in 10 games this season.

Doan is averaging 13:05 time-on-ice and has only two points (1G / 1A) in nine games this season after a considerably more productive trial run last season when he scored nine points (5G / 4A) in 11 games. After making him a healthy scratch on Monday, Utah is opting to send him down to Tucson where he can continue to play and further his development.

After being sidelined for the last five games, O'Brien will draw into the lineup for his third game this season, replacing Josh Doan. The heavy-hitting O'Brien has been held off the scoresheet in two games this season but has tallied 10 hits.

Liam O'Brien will draw into Utah's lineup on Monday in favor of Doan, who will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season. The 22-year-old Doan is averaging 13:05 time-on-ice and has only two points (1G / 1A) in nine games this season after a considerably more productive trial run last season when he scored nine points (5G / 4A) in 11 games.

Utah HC will attempt to snap a season-worst three-game losing skid (0-3-0) on Monday with Ingram between the pipes. Ingram has allowed four or more goals in four of his last six games (3-2-1), posting an awful .851 SV%, but continues to hold control of the starter's crease over Karel Vejmelka in Utah. Utah enters the action on Monday as sizeable -258 home favorites against a San Jose Sharks club that has yet to win a game (0-7-2) and has a league-worst -21 goal differential.

Bjugstad suffered an upper-body in the preseason and has missed the first eight games of the season but will make his debut on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings. The 32-year-old Bjugstad had a career-high 22 goals in 76 games last season.

Allard was a fifth-round pick of Utah HC in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old has spent the last four seasons in the OHL playing for the Soo Greyhounds, including a 44-point campaign last season (18G / 26A).