SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 08: Barrett Hayton #27 of the Utah Hockey Club skates with the puck during the first period of a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 08, 2024 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
LONG ISLAND, New York—Two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev thought he had his first goal in a Utah sweater; instead, Barrett Hayton’s timely deflection off a Sergachev one-timer gave Utah a 2-1 lead.
The New York Islanders hosted Utah Hockey Club on Thursday, October 10, in the franchise’s first road game.
SERGY MAKES IT 2-1! pic.twitter.com/owCt0A2beO
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) October 11, 2024
Utah had the Islanders scrambling for nearly a minute as they held possession and stayed one pass ahead of the defense. Sergachev, the headline-grabbing offseason acquisition, took a pass near the blue line and rocketed a one-timer Hayton deflected past Semyon Varlamov to give his team a one-goal lead.
The club looked stronger in the second period, but the defense had its let-ups. Utah could have easily surrendered a second goal without Connor Ingram making a spectacular save midway through the period.
Utah HC has been outshot 15-14 with just under three minutes left in the second period.
Sergachev is a 26-year-old defenseman from Nizhnekamsk, Russia. In his youth, the young defender began his career in the MHL, a junior hockey league in his native country. From there, he was drafted No. 6 overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, where he spent two seasons.
Sergachev developed into one of the OHL’s top defensemen with the Spitfires. He finished third in scoring in his first season and won the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the best player in his position. The Montreal Canadiens drafted Sergachev No. 9 overall in 2016.
Despite an impressive initial training camp with Montreal and appearing in four games for the team, Sergachev was part of a trade the following season that sent him to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The move would lean heavily toward the Russian defenseman as he quickly made a name for himself in Florida. Somewhat unexpectedly, Sergachev became one of the franchise’s keystones as he offered exceptional defensive play and contributed heavily on offense for a defenseman. In 475 NHL appearances, he’s recorded 48 goals and 209 assists. Sergachev brings championship experience to Utah with two Stanley Cup Championships with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021.
Utah HC remains in New York to take on the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, October 12. The puck drops at 5 p.m. MT.
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Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
