The stage was set for the Utah Hockey Club.
The franchise's first-ever regular season schedule has been released, detailing all the matchups Utah will use to quickly make a name for themselves in the NHL.
Here are five Utah Hockey Club home games you won't want to miss.
Tuesday, October 8 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Utah's season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks promises to be one of the most passionate sports environments in state history.
Already known for its deafening crowd roars, the Delta Centre is sure to be abuzz for the NHL's first regular season game.
Considering how many season ticket deposits were made when the team moved to Salt Lake City, there's no way every seat in the venue wouldn't be filled on this historic night.
Meanwhile, Utah's opponent, playing their first game of NHL hockey, will be Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard, who was the No. 1 overall pick in last year's NHL draft and is considered one of the top players of his generation.
Bedard won the prestigious Calder Memorial Trophy as an 18-year-old rookie last year, totaling 61 points.
Oct. 8 will be a night that will go down in history as the hockey club makes its on-ice debut and potential future legend Bedard comes to town.
Thursday, Oct. 24 vs. Colorado Avalanche; Friday, Nov. 15 vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Utah couldn't ask for a more appealing regional rival.
Colorado and Vegas are among the elite teams in the Western Conference, both of which are in line to win the Stanley Cup in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
The Golden Knights are an especially intriguing team. Many Utahns jumped on the bandwagon when their “hometown” team joined the NHL in 2017, and Las Vegas remains a blueprint for how to quickly cultivate a passionate fan base in a new hockey market. Perhaps this situation will translate to more aggression and intrigue on the ice.
Few teams in the entire league are as solid as the Avalanche, led by center Nathan MacKinnon, who put up an impressive 140 points last year.
Despite coming off a disappointing playoff loss this year, Colorado is still a favorite to win the Stanley Cup in 2024-25, and their matchup with Utah will no doubt be a thrilling one.
The atmosphere at the Delta Center is awesome whenever the Jazz host the Nuggets, Warriors or any other conference rival, so why shouldn't the same be true when Utah hosts one of the region's hockey powerhouses?
Sunday, December 22 vs. Anaheim Ducks
Sure, Anaheim's recent return to its “Mighty Ducks” roots undoubtedly influenced this selection, but the Ducks weren't just named to this list because of their A+ uniform play.
Utah players have had a bit of a tempestuous history with Anaheim as of late: During his time with the Arizona Coyotes, fights, scuffles and tensions were nearly always present at games against the Ducks, with The Hockey News even reporting that the two teams were “becoming a rivalry.”
According to hockeyfights.com, the Coyotes have played no other team in Arizona history more than the 78 times they faced Anaheim.
Though Utah's players are now in a new state and wearing different uniforms, there's no reason to think their old animosity toward the Ducks won't continue, and it's entirely possible that even more bitterness could develop between the two young, hungry teams as they grow together over the next few years.
Their first meeting on December 22nd should be an interesting one.
Wednesday, January 8 vs. Florida Panthers
Don't forget the champions.
The powerhouse Florida Panthers defeated Edmonton last week to win their first Stanley Cup, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
When Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkac visit Salt Lake City for the first time, it will be arguably Utah's most notable home challenge yet.
Beating the defending champions could be a culture-building win for players and fans alike.
