Utah Hockey Club officially announce first captain in franchise history

Clayton Keller will be the first captain in the history of the Utah Hockey Club, it was announced on Friday.

This is a well-earned honor for the team's most outstanding player. Since his time in Arizona, Keller has been the unquestionable leader of the team, especially since Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the previous captain, was traded to the Canucks during the previous offseason. Over the last three seasons, the seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft has developed into one of the league's top first-line players, averaging nearly a point per game.

The 26-year-old winger averaged 19:15 minutes of ice time per game last season, setting a career-high 228 shots on goal. In 78 games, he totaled 76 points with 33 goals and 43 assists. It was his second season in a row with 30 goals.

Although he will still be the focal point of Utah's offense in the first year, it won't be solely dependent on him. This year in Salt Lake City, general manager Bill Armstrong's efforts to assemble a roster during a rebuild in Arizona ought to begin to pay off. It's anticipated that players such as Josh Doan and Dylan Guenther will make their NHL debuts, and 2022 third-overall pick Logan Cooley, who finished his rookie season with 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points, will advance to the next level.