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Utah Hockey Club: What Makes Dylan Guenther And Logan Cooley So Talented?

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1 year ago

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Utah Hockey Club: What Makes Dylan Guenther And Logan Cooley So Talented?


SALT LAKE CITY – It’s no secret that Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley have taken their game to a whole new level this season for the Utah Hockey Club. In 29 games, Guenther currently leads the team in points with 28 while Cooley is in third with 24.

So, what is it that makes these two players so talented? It’s a collection of special individual skillsets, an ever-developing chemistry between them and a hunger to get better every day.

The game is slowing down for Utah’s Logan Cooley

If you pay close attention to Cooley for just a few minutes, it’s obvious that he’s a special player with incredible potential.

Given his blazing speed, phenomenal puck handling skills, elite creativity and remarkable vision, Cooley has been all over the ice and elevated his game to a new level.

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Three Highs, Three Lows For Utah Hockey Club After 25 Games

“It’s been a consistent improvement for him,” head coach Andre Tourigny said. “He’s been good since day one but he’s progressing all the time. He’s extremely competitive. Cool’s is the kind of guy who is mad after two-point night because he could have four. Cool’s satisfaction is not really something we see often. I’m not saying that in a bad way…he’s always a guy who wants more…he has that DNA.”

Looking back at last season, Cooley finished the year with 20 goals and 24 assists (44 points) as he averaged .53 points per game.

Through only 29 games thus far, he is averaging .82 points per game and is on pace to finish with 68 points, up 54 percent from last season.

According to Cooley, part of the reason for his success is that the game is really slowing down for him.

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“For sure. Just from last year too. Obviously, when you first come into the league, it’s super-fast and you just try to find a way to play in this league. This year, I think it’s slowed down a lot and allows me to make more plays and see the game differently,” Cooley said.

Cooley is clearly a special player and possesses such a well-balanced overall game. He’s scoring, orchestrating, getting to the net, finding his teammates, coordinating zone traffic and helping out defensively.

The most exciting news? He’s only 20 years old and is hungry to keep improving.

“I don’t want to set any limits,” Cooley said. “For us, we’re just trying to build each and every day. Become the players we want to be and we’re still young. This is only our second years in the league. We’re still learning a lot and trying to build off each game, each practice, and just try to get better each day.”

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Dylan Guenther is on track to become an NHL superstar

In just his first full season in the NHL, 21-year-old Dylan Guenther has been a merciless offensive monster as he currently leads the Utah Hockey Club in goals (12) and points (28).

Additionally, he also leads the team in power play goals/points (5), multi-point games (8), multi-goal games (4) and is tied with Clayton Keller for the most three-point games (2).

The Hat Trick: Dylan Guenther Scores Twice As Utah Hockey Club Dominate Colorado Avalanche

As for last season, Guenther finished with 18 goals and 17 assists (35 points) in 45 appearances. Obviously, he’ll play nearly twice as many games in 2024-25, but as of right now he’s averaging .96 points per game, up from .77 last year.

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Elite players find ways to be effective despite drawing a plethora of attention from the opposition. Not only is Guenther an elite sniper, but he’s also assisting his teammates on a consistent basis.

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“When I get it, I want to look to attack and shoot,” Guenther said. “But, just making sure I’m creating motion and finding ways to make the power play successful.”

After experiencing a cold streak earlier in the season, No. 11 has made a relentless effort to find open space and generate motion. The results? Lots of goals for the Utah Hockey Club.

Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther are elevating Utah to new heights

As Guenther and Cooley have both taken significant strides in their game this season, the team’s potential has been elevated as a direct result.

With five wins in their last eight games and two additional points from overtime losses to Edmonton and Minnesota, Utah currently has 31 points which places them well in the wild card race.

“We’re better this year. We’re a better team. We’re trying to build & improve & I think that we’ve done that. Even when we weren’t getting the wins, it felt like we were playing pretty well. So, just focusing on the process,” Guenther explained.

After hitting reset four years ago and rebuilding primarily through the draft, the Utah Hockey Club has clearly struck gold with these two young players.

If they can continue developing and producing like they have, Cooley and Guenther could become superstars and will bring a lot of success to Salt Lake City.

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Utah Hockey Schedule

The Utah Hockey Club will now travel to San Jose to face the Sharks on Saturday night. The game can be viewed on SEG+. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule. 

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.

Take us with you, wherever you go.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.





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Utah

Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say

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9 hours ago

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January 8, 2026

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Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say


SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.

The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.

According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.

SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.

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Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.

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Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.





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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah

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21 hours ago

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January 8, 2026

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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah


Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.

Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.

Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.

Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.

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Police stand outside the Salt Lake City church where at least eight people were shot, including two fatally on Jan. 7, 2026. AP
People hug outside the church after the shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah. AP

There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.

However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.

“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters. 

The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified. 

Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead. 

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The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.

Funeral attendees walk out of the meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 7, 2026. AP

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The incident remains under investigation.

With Post wires.

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming

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1 day ago

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January 7, 2026

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming


The Utah Jazz’s experiment to bring in 18-year league veteran Kevin Love thus far into the 2025-26 campaign has been a pretty solid success in the first two-plus months of the season.

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Love has been a positive voice in the locker room as the most tenured NBA veteran on the roster, he’s been vocal about enjoying his time and role with the organization, and for his time on the floor throughout the first 30 or so games of the regular season, he’s nestled into a consistent rotational player as the Jazz’s backup center as Walker Kessler has been out with a shoulder injury.

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But when he first arrived in Utah via a three-team trade from the Miami Heat, packed within the deal that sent John Collins to the LA Clippers, Love didn’t quite know what to expect out of his experience; he didn’t even anticipate being traded to the Jazz in the first place.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised from everything, from ownership, and Ryan Smith to the front office to the coaching staff, players all the way through,” Love said of the Jazz on The Old Man and the Three. “It’s been a blessing in my 18th year to be a part of this team and some place, I mean, you never know where you’re going to end up.”

“I did not expect to be traded but as far as a landing spot goes and just saying, yeah, so many people are saying ‘Oh what if it doesn’t work out? What if it doesn’t work out?’ I’m like ‘What if it does?’, right?And I think just adding value whether I’m playing or not is something that’s given me a lot of happiness and a lot of joy this late in my career. And I think that has allowed me to see a lot of the good and what this team has been able to bring and move forward.”

Kevin Love Settling in Nicely With Utah Jazz

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Love’s value stretches both on and off the floor for the Jazz, which makes sense for why the veteran big man has been loving his time since being on the roster. The 2016 NBA champion was vocal before the season about his desire to be a value add for wherever that may be, including Utah, and he’s been able to carve out just the right role for himself at this point in his career. 

During his 20 games played for the Jazz this season, Love has averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 41.1% from the field in just over 17 minutes a night when he plays, and has proven he can still be a guy worthy of a few minutes down the rotation to fill out an NBA frontcourt, as he has for the year in Utah so far.

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Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (left) speaks with Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (right) before the game at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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It remains to be seen just how long Love’s time in Utah will last. There’s not even a guarantee that the 37-year-old will finish the regular season on the roster, depending on how the next few weeks transpire around the trade deadline and as the buyout market begins to gain some traction. But, for the time that he is in Salt Lake City, he’s made it into a nice home for what’s now the fourth roster he’s been on through nearly two decades in the league.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!



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