Apr 1, 2025 , 4:35 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – DECEMBER 27: Nick Schmaltz #8 of the Utah Hockey Club celebrates scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche at Delta Center on December 27, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tyler Tate/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tyler Tate/Getty Images)
COLE BAGLEY & BRIAN PREECE
SALT LAKE CITY—The Utah Hockey Club’s playoff hopes are on life support as they take home ice against the Calgary Flames. Utah is 2-0 against Calgary this season. The club handed Calgary a 5-3 loss in Canada on January 2. The Flames fell 5-1 in Salt Lake City on October 30, 2024.
Utah HC (33-29-12, 78 points) is hosting the Flames (35-26-12, 82 points) at Delta Center on Tuesday, April 1. Utah is 15-14-7 at home, and Calgary is 16-14-7 on the road.
With seven regular-season games left for the inaugural franchise, Calgary is five points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second Western Conference Wild Card. St. Louis has won nine straight games to take a stranglehold on the final playoff spot. Utah is 5-4-1 in its past ten games, while the Flames are 5-3-2.
Hockey at home!
📍: Delta Center
⏰: 7PM MT
📺: Utah HC+ & Utah 16
📻: KSL Sports Zone pic.twitter.com/PsqZlJnb1A
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) April 1, 2025
The race to be the franchise’s first single-season goals title continues between Captain Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther. Guenther currently leads, lighting the lamp 26 times. His 26 goals and 25 assists are career-highs for the third year forward.
Keller has 24 goals and a career-high 55 assists for 79 points. Keller is 17th in the NHL in scoring.
Between the pipes, head coach André Tourigny has leaned heavily on Karel Vejmelka. Tonight’s game marks the eighteenth consecutive start for Vejmelka as the club makes a playoff push. The former fifth-round draft pick is 22-20-7 this season, and his 2.59 goals against is the 13th best mark in the league.
Clayton Keller on what it means to be the first ever #UtahHC captain:
“It means a lot. It’s super cool to think about it that way. It’s forever & I’m the first one.”
“It’s something that I definitely don’t take lightly. I’m just super, super thankful.” pic.twitter.com/he4fEp9yPu
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) April 1, 2025
Calgary features a balanced offense with six players topping the 30-point plateau. Nazem Kadri (30 goals, 28 assists) and Jonathan Huberdeau 27 goals, 31 assists) lead the team with 58 points. Ten Flames skaters have ten or more goals this season.
Back for the final home stand of the inaugural season.
Pretty surreal.#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/P3Tk6A4hQe
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) April 1, 2025
Coach Andre Tourigny addresses Vejmelka’s 18 consecutive starts:
“We're fighting for our life every night and you want us to not put our best lineup on the ice every night?”
“That's make no sense. We are in the playoff. We are in our Stanley Cup run. We are fighting to get the…
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) April 1, 2025
Utah Hockey Club games can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on the KSL Sports app or 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.
Cole Bagley is the Utah Hockey Club insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. Listen to Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
Find KSLSports.com coverage of the Utah Hockey Club here.
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Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
