With Utah hosting NHL games this fall, a whole new cast of characters will be coming to town.
Just as NBA legends and superstars have visited the Delta Center over the years, the NHL's elite players will also be coming to the Delta Center to take on the Utah Hockey Club, who will open their season against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 8.
There's no shortage of stars in hockey these days.
Here are five players you'll want to see play if you come to Salt Lake City this season.
Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks center
Making his NHL debut for Utah on Oct. 8 will be rising star Connor Bedard, widely considered one of the top young talents of his generation.
Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, burst onto the scene as a rookie last year, recording 22 goals and 61 total points.
For these efforts, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's most outstanding rookie, and at 18 years old, he is one of the youngest players ever to win the award.
With the Blackhawks joining Utah in the division, the hockey club's supporters will have a front-row seat to watch Bedard's rise to become the next NHL superstar. Perhaps a re-enactment of the famous rivalry between Utah and Chicago in the 1990s, the Jazz and Bulls, could happen in hockey form.
Bedard will play at Utah on Oct. 8 and Feb. 25.
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs centre
Auston Matthews just finished his most prolific scoring season in NBA history, scoring 69 goals, the most by a player since 1996.
The American star has averaged an astounding 46 goals per season since breaking into the NHL in 2016. He was the 2022 recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's best player.
Matthews plays at Utah on March 10th.
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche center
Reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon's unique combination of skill and power has made him a ferocious scorer for Colorado, scoring 140 points last season and 111 points in 2022-23.
With the Avalanche in the same division as Utah, just one state apart, a regional rivalry between the two clubs is almost certain to develop, with MacKinnon becoming the obvious face of the opposing side.
MacKinnon will play on Oct. 24 and Dec. 27 for Utah.
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers centre
Many consider Connor McDavid to be the best player in hockey right now. After all, he was named MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite his team's victory. Loss In the final.
At 27 years old, McDavid is a three-time Hart Trophy winner who has led the league in points five times and assists four times. No Oilers player has performed at such a high level since the great Wayne Gretzky.
McDavid plays at Utah on Nov. 29.
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals left winger
Though he's not the monster on the ice that he once was, living legend Alex Ovechkin is still a scoring threat and has a long way to go before he can claim one of the greatest feats in hockey history.
Through 19 seasons, Ovechkin has scored 853 goals, just 41 behind Gretzky on the NHL's all-time scoring list, and while he likely won't reach his 895th goal this season, watching Ovechkin bring a record-breaking challenge to Utah will be must-watch TV.
When Ovechkin will play at Utah: Nov. 18.
