SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural rookie camp is now officially underway, providing another look at some of the more recent draft picks and kicking off the 2024-25 season.

Here come the boys 🏒#UtahHockeyClub #NHL pic.twitter.com/07nFbUUIFo

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 11, 2024

Here are the instant takeaways from day one of camp.

Maveric Lamoureux is an Absolute Force on Defense

Standing 6-foot-7, one would imagine that defenseman Maveric Lamoureux would certainly be a talented player, but that’s not even the half of it. In addition to his towering size, and I mean towering, he’s a phenomenal skater who moves really well for someone as big as he is.

Along with that, he reads the ice well, positions himself well and can contribute offensively. As for protecting his own zone, he is incredibly strong which he uses to his advantage to fend off forwards near the net. Several players tried, none succeeded as he easily moved them away from the crease without breaking a sweat.

He’s also smart with the way he moves his body and shields the puck when trying to clear it out of his own zone. Simply put, he’s a big guy that’s incredibly tough to beat.

Maveric Lamoureux just laid a big hit into the boards in front of me. My goodness, there was some power behind that and I don’t think that was anywhere close to what he’s capable of.#UtahHockeyClub #NHL

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 11, 2024

Fans should keep a close eye on Lamoureux as he may have the best chances of being called up to the team this season.

“Its going to be a dream come true. I’ve wanted that [to play in the NHL] my whole life and now I’ve got the chance to make it happen so now it’s just going to be about how I play,” Lamoureux said.

Players To Watch During Utah Hockey Club’s Rookie Camp

Cole Beaudoin is Scrappy

As the No. 24 Overall pick this year, Cole Beaudoin was selected for his offensive skillset, but also because of how hard he works each and every shift.

During day one of camp, that was on full display as he constantly battled for every loose puck and wasn’t afraid to challenge anybody. Anytime there was a challenge to be had, Beaudoin came in hot and often won the puck.

In addition to being scrappy, he’s also a really smart player who sees the ice well and constantly has his head on swivel. It’s easy to see the gears moving no matter what area of the ice he’s in and you can tell he is calculating where he needs to be in order to have an impact. He’s also smart when it comes to puck placement as he’s patient with his passes and waits for the play to develop.

Another thing that was noticeable about Beaudoin was his vocal leadership. Multiple times throughout the session he was calling out positions and directing traffic.

“I’m just trying to make it easier for everyone else,” Beaudoin said. “Make it easier for myself, make it easier for my teammates. I want to be a leader around this team and bring that to the culture. That’s definitely something I am going to continue to bring.”

Tij Iginla is Listed as Day-to-Day

Unfortunately, one player we weren’t able to see was No. 6 Overall pick Cole Beaudoin. According to the club he is currently listed as day-to-day due to a lower body strain, and it doesn’t sound like he will be practicing tomorrow either.

Utah forward Tij Iginla is being evaluated and will be listed as day to day (lower body) .

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 11, 2024

Utah Hockey Schedule

Fans can watch these prospects first game with the Utah Hockey Club on September 13 against Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks during the rookie tournament. All rookie tournament games will be live streamed for free on UtahHockeyClub.com.

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

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Hosted by the Utah Debate Commission, this debate features candidates for the Utah governor’s seat. It includes candidates Spencer Cox (R), Brian King (D), and J. Robert Latham (L). The debate is held from the Grand Theatre on The Salt Lake Community College Campus.

When: Wednesday, September 11 at 6 p.m.

Moderator: Jason Perry is host of the The Hinckley Report, produced in collaboration with The University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics.

Recorded 09/11/2024.

Utah State’s women’s soccer team has done something no Aggie team — regardless of sport — has done in over half a century.

The undefeated Aggies (7-0) made it into the top 10 of the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25, coming in at No. 9 after recent wins over UVU and Pacific.

The No. 9 ranking is the highest ranking by a Utah State team since the men’s basketball team peaked at No. 9 in the AP Poll in 1971.

Utah State received 118 points in the poll, up from 47 the week before. The Aggies are the only Mountain West team that received any votes in the latest poll.

USU has defeated one team still ranked this season — No. 18 Pepperdine, who the Aggies defeated 3-0 on Aug. 15. BYU and Utah Valley, both of whom Utah State has defeated this season, are also receiving votes in the poll.

Utah State has outscored its opponents this year by a combined 25-4, including five shutout victories. The Aggies have dominated competition in the state of Utah, defeating the aforementioned Cougars and Wolverines, as well as the Utah Utes. Utah State plays at Weber State this weekend, with a chance to sweep in-state competition.

Most recently, the Aggies defeated Pacific 9-3, after which head coach Manny Martins said, “In the first half, our mindset just wasn’t right. That’s not what we expect it to be. That’s a part of sports. This is a team that came here trying to get a result, as they should, and maybe we looked at their record and overlooked them a bit, but they challenged us.

“Sometimes you need a game where you’re challenged in a way where it helps you stay grounded and refocus. This is only the second time we’ve given up three goals in a game and the first time we’ve given up three goals in a half since I’ve been here. But the most important thing is how the team responded to it and I thought we responded well and finished the game strong.”

The women’s soccer program has been trending up in recent years, culminating in a Mountain West championship last season. At its current pace, Utah State is on track to potentially host a NCAA tournament game in Logan, something the program has never done before.