The wait to buy official Utah Hockey Club jerseys finally ends Friday, just hours before the team hosts the Vegas Golden Knights in Salt Lake City.
Long lines are expected at the team store at the Delta Center to get the franchise’s first jersey from Phoenix on April 18. Only a handful of players’ jerseys, including Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz, will be available, but fans will be able to customize the club’s preseason jerseys. its first.
Don’t be surprised to see the Nos. Utah backup goaltender Karel Vejmelka’s 70 points dot the ratings for Friday’s game.
Vejmelka, making just his fourth start of the season, finished with a career-high 49 saves to help lead Utah to a 4-1 victory over visiting Carolina on Wednesday. He was cheered by chants of “Veggie, Veggie, Veggie” as he circled the ice after receiving the game’s No. 1 star award.
“It’s not real,” said Vejmelka, who was often held back after punching the crowd. “This is a moment I will remember for sure. This is a night to remember for me and for everyone. This is a big game for us.”
“Unbelievable,” forward Nick Bjugstad, who scored his first two goals of the season on Wednesday, said of Vejmelka’s performance. “Thank you for her. She had an amazing night.”
Utah had to kill 11 minutes of the Hurricanes’ power plays in the third period, including a 5-on-3 segment, as Carolina fired 18 shots on goal. Utah also blocked 26 shots in the contest, including six each by guards Ian Cole and Mikhail Sergachev.
“I hope we don’t tend to defend it (the penalty kill) too much,” said Utah coach Andre Tourigny. “Veggie was good, the guys were blocking shots, we protected the slot well in our area.”
Vegas comes to Salt Lake City leading the Pacific Division with 22 points following a 3-2 win at Anaheim on Wednesday. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his team’s ninth goal early in the third period which was the game winner.
Adin Hill, pulled in his previous start against Carolina after allowing four goals on 21 shots, bounced back and turned away 22 of 24 shots for the Ducks.
It was just the second win in seven games (2-3-2) for the Golden Knights, who improved to 25-7-1 all-time against Anaheim, including 11-4-1 at the Honda Center.
This tournament was the beginning of November which will play seven of the eight games on the road. It also started a two-game, four-day Fathers Trip to the Golden Knights. Vegas improved to 10-0-1 in such games.
“It’s always fun,” Hill said. “The records speak for themselves during the Father’s Day Tour. It’s always nice when we can find a way to get two points.”
The players were met by a line of dads wearing jerseys giving them high-fives as they left the ice after the competition and headed for the locker room. The players’ fathers went whale watching in Newport Beach before Wednesday’s game and were to spend Thursday at a team outing at a ski resort in Park City, Utah.
“(The dads are happy),” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Their team won, and they’re a part of it. … This is the bonding side of father and son that they’re going through. That’s what they’re getting, and I’m happy for them.”
This will be the second of three meetings this month between the Golden Knights and Utah. Vegas won the first on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, 4-3, on an overtime goal by Brett Howden.
–Field Level Media
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