Utah — The Utah ski industry isn’t usually the first in North America to open. However, two Utah ski resorts are already open in early November.

Solitude Mountain Resort was the first to open in Utah, as their season kicked off at 9 a.m. local time. Solitude Mountain has opened up the Link chairlift for skiing and riding. Easy Street will be the only trail open off the chairlift. Solitude parks crew has also been busy, adding 7-8 features on the trail. Solitude will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend, with lift tickets costing only $25. Solitude will then close back down to continue working on their early season snowmaking efforts.

However, Solitude wasn’t the only ski resort that open today. At 10 a.m. local time, Brian Head Resort opened up for the season. They’ve opened up the Paradise Strip, Freemont, and Easy Time trails, which are serviced by the Navajo Expres chairlift. This is Brian Head’s second-earliest opening, with the earliest ever being November 4, 2022. Brian Head plans to remain open daily until May 4th.

Brighton is likely the next ski resort to open. Yesterday, the Utah ski resort announced that they’re opening next Thursday, November 14th. The Majestic and Explorer chairlifts will be spinning, and snowmaking has commeneced on the terrain around Crest 6 to get that part of the mountain operational soon.

It’s a good start so far for Utah, but let’s hope they keep getting snow so they can get the steeper terrain open.

Image/Video Credits: Brian Head Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, Brighton Resort (@flanellifestyles)

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Associated Press

Utah Jazz (1-7, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (4-5, 12th in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Western Conference foes San Antonio and Utah will play on Saturday.

San Antonio finished 22-60 overall, 14-37 in Western Conference play and 12-29 at home during the 2023-24 season. The Spurs averaged 112.1 points per game last season, 51.4 in the paint, 15.4 off of turnovers and 15.6 on fast breaks.

Utah went 31-51 overall and 16-36 in Western Conference play during the 2023-24 season. The Jazz averaged 115.7 points per game last season, 18.8 from the free-throw line and 38.7 from deep.

INJURIES: Spurs: Devin Vassell: out (foot), Tre Jones: out (ankle), Jeremy Sochan: out (thumb).

Jazz: Taylor Hendricks: out for season (fibula).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway returned to the lineup Thursday night against Utah in the team’s first game since he was taken to the hospital after getting hit in the neck with a puck.

Holloway participated in the Blues’ morning skate at Enterprise Center and declared he felt good to return, and coach Drew Bannister put him in the starting lineup.

“Talking to the doctor at the hospital, he said just no activity for 24 hours. But other than that, I’m fine,” Holloway said at morning skate. “All my tests came back good. There’s no further damage — nothing. It was kind of the best news I could get, and I feel like I’m ready to go.

Holloway was hurt late in the first period of St. Louis’ 3-2 victory on Tuesday night when he was struck by a puck off the stick of Tampa Bay’s Nicholas Paul. Play was stopped with 1:11 left in the period, and referees sent the teams to the locker rooms early after Holloway was taken from the bench area on a stretcher.

“It was definitely kind of crazy. I felt pretty fortunate. I had a Iot of people reach out to see if I was OK,” said Holloway, who signed with the Blues after appearing in the Stanley Cup final last season with Edmonton.

“I appreciate all the love and the support that I was getting. The team has been great, all the boys have been great, the coach has been great. I’m just thankful to have such a supportive group around me.”

Holloway said he felt dizzy and nauseous at the hospital but has had no other ill effects other than a bruise at the base of his neck.

“I just want to go out there and kind of forget about it, put it in the past,” Holloway said. “I feel good and I’m just excited to get out there.”

Bannister said Holloway rode an exercise bike Wednesday and then “pushed himself hard” during the morning skate.

“He’s a worker. He has a high motor. The way we want to play, he dictates a lot of the play,” Bannister said. “He dictates a lot of the energy that happens on the bench and on the ice. He just works to get pucks back and he uses his speed. He does a lot of things really well and he’s fit in nicely.”

“Whether we’ve put him at center or put him at wing, he’s found a way to contribute to the team game and contribute on the scoreboard but also defensively.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl