Clayton Keller #9 of the Utah Hockey Club skates against the Los Angeles Kings on September 23, 2024 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – After being named the first captain in Utah Hockey Club history, star forward Clayton Keller spoke about the honor and how he plans to lead the team.
Utah designated Keller as the captain on Friday morning and the eight-year vet spoke with the media shortly after.
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Not only is it the first time in Keller’s career that he earned the captain title, but it is the first time that role has been given out in Utah as the Hockey Club prepares to start its inaugural season.
“It’s a huge honor. It means so much to me,” Keller said. “We have a lot of great leaders in the locker room but I’m ready for the challenge.”
Giving props to his teammates is a common theme for Keller. A good trait for a leader to have.
Although some would say that Keller was the obvious choice, he went on to say that the entire team would uplift him so that he could be the best captain and the group could bring the best results.
“Guys in that room are really going to help me out a lot,” Keller admitted. “Not everything is going to go perfectly. When things don’t go your way, that’s usually when you learn the most and get better.”
A true leader through and through. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Ug3mPceyV8
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) October 4, 2024
As it will be his first year in an appointed leadership role, it’s fair to wonder what Keller’s leadership style looks like.
With the perfect balance of tough love and performance on the ice, he believes that he knows how to resonate with everyone on the roster and then go out and back up whatever point he’s making.
“I’m always striving for greatness,” Keller said. “I always want the best for our team every single day. Whether it’s a two-hour practice or 30 minutes, I want to go out there and get better and grow as a team. I can get hot and yell sometimes but it’s all in good love. Every guy is different in how you can get the most out of them.”
Regarding how the Utah fans will get to see his leadership, Keller kept it simple.
“They’ll have to come out and see.”
