The Utah Hockey Club selected nine players in the 2024 NHL Draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas on the second day of the club's first draft as a franchise. Saturday's selections were made between the second and sixth rounds of the draft. Including Friday's two first-round selections, the Utah Hockey Club has selected 11 players total in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Round 2
With their first pick of the second day of the draft and their last pick of the second round, Utah selected defenseman Will Skahan of the U.S. National Development Team with the 65th overall pick. Skahan, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 211 pounds, will play in 24 games during the 2023-24 season, recording 4-2-6, 51 penalty minutes (PIM) and a plus-17, third-best on the team. Skahan also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2022 U-17 World Hockey Challenge and a silver medal with Team USA at the IIHF U-18 Men's World Championship. Skahan is committed to play at Boston College in the 2024-25 season.
Round 3
With the first of their two third-round picks, Utah selected Cape Breton (QMJHL) defenceman Thomas Lavoie with the 89th overall pick. Lavoie, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 225 pounds, appeared in 65 games with Cape Breton in 2023-24, compiling a 3-21-24 record in the regular season and recording one goal and two assists in 14 playoff games. In his first season with Cape Breton in 2022-23, Lavoie compiled a 2-14-16 record in 59 games.
Utah used its second third-round pick (96th overall) on Finnish defenseman Viti Vaisanen from Kuku (SM-Liiga). The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Vaisanen, a native of Hamina, Finland, compiled a 2-8-10 record in 50 games played in the 2023-24 season and was ranked 21st among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Round 4
Two rounds later, with the 98th overall pick and first pick of the fourth round, Utah selected defenseman Gregor Bieber out of Rogel Jr. (Swedish junior). Bieber, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 187 pounds, appeared in 40 games for Rogel Jr. in 2023-24, recording two goals and four assists with 88 PIM. He won a bronze medal with Austria at the 2024 IIHF U-18 World Championship, going 1-4-5 in five games played.
With their second pick in the fourth round, Utah selected Moncton (QMJHL) forward Gabe Smith with the 103rd overall pick. Smith appeared in 54 games with Moncton in 2023-24, recording 9-14-23 passing percentages and 72 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Smith will also appear in 66 regular season games for Moncton in 2022-23, recording 4-16-20 passing percentages and 49 penalty minutes and scoring one goal in 12 playoff games.
Round 5
With the 135th overall pick in the fifth round, Utah selected forward Owen Allard from Sault Ste. Marie (OHL). During the 2023-24 season, Allard recorded 18-26-44 with 39 PIM in 55 games and was a plus-18. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound Renfrew (Canada) native also appeared in 10 playoff games with a 4-1-5 record. In three seasons with Sault Ste. Marie, Allard appeared in a total of 135 games with a 35-40-75 record. At the 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, Allard appeared in five games for the Canadian team with a 2-1-3 record.
Utah used their second pick in the fifth round, 153rd overall, to select defenseman Ales Cech from Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic). Cech appeared in 40 games for Mlada Boleslav in the 2023-24 season, recording seven assists and 20 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound Cech will also play for the Czech Republic at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024, leading his country to a silver medal in 2023 and a bronze medal in 2024. In his three appearances at the U20 World Junior Championships, Cech recorded two wins, two losses and four draws in 21 games.
Round 6
Utah's sixth-round pick, 167th overall, was forward Vojtek Hradec, Cech's teammate at Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic). The 6-foot-4, 201-pound Hradec was projected to play in 25 games and record one goal during the 2023-24 season.
Utah's final draft pick was in the sixth round, 190th overall, when the club selected defenseman Ludvig Laughton from Farjestad Jr., Sweden. Laughton, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 183 pounds, recorded four assists in 16 games played in the 2023-24 season. Laughton also played for Norway at the 2024 IIHF U-20 World Junior Championship, appearing in five games.
First Round (Friday, June 28th)
On Friday, Utah selected Kelowna (WHL)-born forward Tiji Iginla with the sixth overall pick and Barrie (OHL)-born forward Cole Beaudoin with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
