PARK CITY, Utah — The Utah Hockey Club opened the first development camp in team history on Monday, marking the first time any skater took the ice with the Utah logo.

“I knew it was going to be fun, I knew it was going to be special,” said forward Tanner Ludtke, who was selected in the third round (No. 81) of the 2023 NHL Draft. “Just getting here and seeing Utah for the first time and being here is just better than I could ever imagine.”

Among the 32 players taking part in this week’s camp are all 11 picks from last week’s 2024 NHL Draft, including first-round selections Tij Iginla and Cole Beaudoin.

Iginla, the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was the first pick in Utah history, going at No. 6. The forward scored 47 goals in 64 games for Kelowna in the Western Hockey League during the 2023-24 season. He wore No. 12, the number his dad wore for most of his NHL career.

“The guys are good,” said Iginla. “We got a lot of big boys out there. It looks good, and it’ll be fun to keep seeing the guys over the week.”

Beaudoin was Utah’s second pick in the first round at No. 24. The forward had 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) for Barrie in the Ontario Hockey League.

“There’s so many resources out there, like skating coaches, skills coaches, all the staff,” said Beaudoin. “It was amazing to talk to them and get to know everybody and be on the ice.”

The camp will end with a scrimmage in Salt Lake City on Friday.

“I was a little nervous going in, I think everyone was with their first camp,” said defenseman Will Skahan, who was selected in the second round (No. 65). “I think as you went along in practice you got used to it, you got comfortable, and you became more confident. It’s just an honor to be here.”

The more experienced prospects in camp are looking to continue their development in Utah’s organization.

“I want to take another step,” said Ludtke, who played for the University of Nebraska-Omaha last season. “I want to help the young guys and be there for them when they need advice or whatever it is. At the same time, I want to be a leader on the ice, make plays, contribute, and kind of lead the way a little bit.”

Lee Stempniak, Utah’s director of player development, said: “It’s the most talented group we’ve had in my four or five years with the organization. We have guys that are good kids, they work hard, they want to be coached, and we have the resources to give them a great week to set them up for success.”

The Utah Hockey Club will play its first regular-season game Oct. 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, marking the debut of the NHL in Salt Lake City following the team’s move from Arizona.

That same night, the Florida Panthers will raise their first Stanley Cup banner to the rafters in Sunrise, Florida, before facing off against the Boston Bruins.

The NHL released the list of home openers for each of its 32 teams Monday with the full 1,312-game regular-season schedule expected this week.

Utah, which is expected to have a permanent name in time for the 2025-26 season, will play at the Delta Center, home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, an arena that will undergo renovations to provide more unobstructed views for NHL games. The capacity is 16,200 for the inaugural season, with not all directly facing the ice, but the demand has been high with 30,000 season-ticket deposits.

“We are thrilled to play the first regular season game in franchise history, at home, in front of our amazing fans,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said. “The eyes of the hockey world will be on Utah when we host the Blackhawks on that historic night, and we look forward to rising to the occasion.”

The second day of the season is rivalry night with the New York Rangers visiting Pittsburgh; Toronto at Montreal; and Colorado at Vegas. Avalanche-Golden Knights is a matchup of the 2022 and ’23 Cup champions.

Trade time

In the middle of a free agent frenzy that saw teams around the league commit nearly $1 billion in contracts, some teams in the Eastern Conference made trades to fill important holes.

The Rangers acquired winger Reilly Smith from the Penguins for a 2027 second-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder in ‘25. Pittsburgh retained 25% of Smith’s salary, meaning New York gets him at $3.75 million for next season. Smith has now been traded twice in just over a year since helping Vegas win the Cup.

Washington followed through on general manager Brian MacLellan’s plan to change the mix on defense by acquiring Jakob Chychrun from Ottawa for Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick.

“Jakob is a 26-year-old offensive defenseman who has nearly 500 games of NHL experience,” MacLellan said. “His unique skill set and experience will undoubtedly bolster our blue line, substantially increasing our offensive capabilities.”

Extension season

The Nashville Predators, who committed more than $110 million to sign free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei and Scott Wedgewood, are about to spend even more money to keep their franchise goaltender.

The team and Juuse Saros last week agreed to the framework of an eight-year contract extension that would start in 2025 and run through 2033, a deal that could be finalized and signed any time now.

Toronto also extended its goalie of the present and future, signing Joseph Woll to a three-year, $11 million contract that runs through 2028. Woll is expected to share the net with Anthony Stolarz, who backed up Sergei Bobrovsky on Florida’s Cup run after a career-best regular season with a 2.03 goals-against average and .925 save percentage.

Philadelphia signed gritty winger Garnet Hathaway to a $4.8 million extension through 2026-27. Hathaway, who will count $2.4 million against the cap during that contract, has been a good fit since signing with the Flyers in free agency a year ago.

“Garnet has been a great addition to our team and we’re very happy to extend him … for the next several seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “His style of play and level of professionalism had a big effect on our group last season, and he embodies the standard our team set out to build both on and off the ice.”

SALT LAKE CITY — At the Utah State Correctional Facility, within the walls of confinement is a rare form of freedom…a vegetable garden.

“You name it, we have tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, kale. Kohlrabi, everything you see at the store plus more,” explained Todd Barszcz, the case manager for the prison’s program reentry program.

Cody Neilson, who is serving a life sentence, is one of the 32 prisoners who spends up to six hours a day tending to the plants growing within the walls.

“It’s freedom,” Neilson said. “When you’re here, you’re not in prison.”

The unique opportunity is part of the prison’s horticulture program that allows certain inmates to work while incarcerated.

“I will check them on our computer system, I’ll look to see when their last write-ups were,” Barszcz said. “You have to behave not only here, but back on your housing unit.”

The food grown is used in a different program for culinary arts at the prison, helping supply fresh produce.

“We grow specifically for them,” Barszcz explained. “So they’re not using prepackaged food and stuff like that. We’re able to provide them with fresh foods so they can get the most of the experience.”

To both those running the program and those participating, gardening is not only a privilege, it’s therapeutic.

“Coming out of max come to here I was diabetic, I was taking insulin, I was taking 11 meds a day,” Neilson said. “I don’t take nothing now.”

Inmates are paid a small amount for participating and can earn a certificate in the gardening industry but more importantly, it gives them a sense of purpose.

“It gives us something that we can give back to the public, you know, a little bit of, you know, we’re sorry, but I’m here, but let me try and do the best I can and make the best of our situation,” he said.

According to The Utah Department of Corrections, 96% of inmates at the prison are likely to be released at some point so experts say these “work and learn” opportunities are essential.

“When you start talking about doing rehabilitation and teaching and educating to reduce recidivism within the institution, so that when people are released, they are less likely to come back,” Barszcz said. “That’s kind of why I’m so proud is because this represents the potential of what we can do as a correctional facility.”