Things have been happening fast for the Utah Hockey Club so far in 2024, and their inaugural game Tuesday night was no exception. Less than five minutes into the first period against the Chicago Blackhawks—and less than 10 after owner Ryan Smith had thanked the sellout crowd of 11,131 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City for “packin’ the barn”—Utah winger Dylan Guenther slammed a one-timer from the top of the right face-off circle past Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrázek for the first goal in the history of the new franchise. It was a sign of things to come, as the young Hockey Club churned out a 5–2 win.
“That was pretty cool,” Guenther said afterward. “That building was special. That was a ton of fun. A lot of fun to play in front of that crowd.”
