The Winnipeg Jets may be the best team in hockey at the moment, but the Utah Hockey Club doesn’t care. They pulled off the upset on Saturday night with a 4-1 win on home ice.
Utah played a near-perfect game. The struggling power play struck twice, the captain scored his 500th point, Kevin Stenlund tallied two points against his former team, Barrett Hayton matched his career high in goals and Karel Vejmelka, yet again, played a solid game.
“We played against a really good team and it was a hell of a game,” said head coach André Tourigny. I’m really proud of the guys."
Utah’s playoff hopes are still alive, though slim. Their fate rests partially on the success or failure of their competitors, but they’re doing all they can to stay in it.
“They’re the easiest team to coach in the league right now,” Tourigny said. “They’re tuned in. They’re locked in.”
Utah Hockey for dummies
When the season began, there were a lot of fans who identified as “hockey dummies.” But as the year has progressed, I’ve been delighted to see hockey intelligence rise in this state.
That intelligence was on full display at the Delta Center on Saturday.
See, in the early part of the season, the officials took way more booing than they deserved — clear penalties called against Utah, clean hits on UHC players, offside and icing calls — anything that didn’t favor the home team. On Saturday, every fan reaction was on point.
For example, with about 14:25 left in the third period against the Jets, the referees missed what I would call a clear holding penalty on Michael Kesselring. I’ve often felt like the only person that noticed missed calls, but this time there was a 16,000-person choir booing in agreement with me.
It was at that point that I realized it had been weeks — maybe months — since I last heard an unjust boo. And it’s still as loud as ever inside the arena.
When asked about the fans’ engagement after the game, Tourigny responded with a question:
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Yeah,” we responded.
“Imagine us. We’re jacked. That’s great.”
Utah Hockey for casual fans
As mentioned, Clayton Keller’s pair of points on Saturday elevated him to 500 career points.
The Captain scores first! 1-0 Club 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0DG4Duehkv
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) April 5, 2025
“He’s getting better every day,” Tourigny said of the captain. “The way he showed up today and the way he fought against a heavy team like Winnipeg, it doesn’t bother him at all.”
But it’s not just on the ice that Keller has improved.
“Where I’m most proud of him is as a human being,” Tourigny said. “The way he’s matured. The teammate he’s ...
