Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Hockey Club may not know its a longshot to make the postseason. That, or the team just doesn't care.
A strong showing against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday was proof of that, along with comments from the locker room, including, "We'll never quit," by head coach André Tourigny.
SLC Puck Austin Facer is encouraged by Utah's determination, which will be tested against two quality opponents this week; the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets.
When LA comes to town on Thursday, it may be the last appearance on NHL ice for Utah's most accomplished hockey export: Kings forward Trevor Lewis. The former Brighton High star became Utah's first-ever first round pick in the NHL draft in 2006 and went on to play more than 1,000 NHL games with the Kings, Flames and Jets.
Who will be Utah's next first-round native? Who knows — chances are though, that player will get a big boost from an announcement that Ryan Smith made this week, supporting the construction of up to 20 new rinks around the state.
Facer wonders where the rinks could go and which cities will benefit most from Smith Entertainment Group's rink-building pledge.
SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.
