Utah Hockey Club Snares Dramatic Win Over Canucks

Feb 23, 2025 , 8:45 PM | Updated: 8:47 pm

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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 08: Dylan Guenther #11 of Utah Hockey Club celebrates his first period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks at Delta Center on October 08, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This game is the first for the franchise in Utah following their relocation from Arizona. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Hockey Club needed a hero on Saturday night, and they got several in a mammoth 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Karel Vejmelka, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther all contributed to the victory. The win leaves Utah four points behind Vancouver for a Western Conference Wild Card.

Utah HC (25-24-9, 59 points) is hosting the Canucks (26-20-11, 63 points) at Delta Center on Sunday, February 23. The Canucks currently hold the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Utah is as healthy as it has been all season after defenseman Sean Durzi returned to the ice last night against the Kings. Despite the loss, the talented defenseman recorded two shots, two blocks, and an assist in more than 20 minutes on the ice.

Logan Cooley’s return can’t come soon enough for a team recently starved for offense. Cooley’s return could mean a healthy squad heading into the stretch run. The talented forward is listed as a game-time decision tonight. He has not played since January 29.

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Hayton’s Hat-Trick Not Enough For Utah Win

With not one, not two, but three goals against the LA Kings on Saturday night, Hayton demonstrated the development of his game and just how dangerous he can be in front of the net.

“I often talk about how much Hayton plays the right way. He does everything right. He has the right attitude. He competes so hard,” head coach Andre Tourigny said.

“You can’t not cheer for him. Really happy for him.”

With most of Hayton’s goals coming close to the net front this season, he’s established himself as a bothersome presence, which is a massive win for the team.

Not only has he been able to put the puck in the back of the net, but Hayton battles incredibly hard, creates turnovers, cleans up rebounds, and does the little things to be genuinely obnoxious and get under the skin of his opponents.

Every team needs a player willing to do that.

Someone who crowds the crease, digs relentlessly, and pokes at the puck until the defense has no choice but to step in.

After dealing with some adversity early in his career and missing most of last season due to injury, it’s incredibly positive for Utah to see Hayton make a significant impact.

If he can continue to build on what he’s accomplished this season, Hayton will be a critical piece of Utah’s offense as they build toward playoff contention.

Utah-Vancouver Gameday Reading

Follow Utah Hockey Club With KSL Sports

Utah Hockey Club games can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on the KSL Sports app or 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule. 

Cole Bagley is the Utah Hockey Club insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. Listen to Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

Find KSLSports.com coverage of the Utah Hockey Club here.

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Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X and Instagram at @bpreece24. 

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