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What to know about St. Louis Blues vs Utah Hockey Club preseason NHL game in Des Moines

Published

1 week ago

September 19, 2024

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What to know about St. Louis Blues vs Utah Hockey Club preseason NHL game in Des Moines

It’s time for hockey in Iowa.

But it’s not the Iowa Wild, a Des Moines-based American Hockey League team.

The St. Louis Blues and the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League will face off at Wells Fargo Arena in a preseason game dubbed the Des Moines Community Classic.

St. Louis and Utah will face off on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. CT and Des Moines hockey fans will get a glimpse of the NHL’s newest team, all while hosting one of the first preseason games of the season.

Here is what fans need to know ahead of Sunday’s preseason matchup.

What time is the NHL preseason game in Des Moines?

Date: Sept. 22, 2024

Time: 6 p.m.

Location: Wells Fargo Arena

Tickets: Available through the Iowa Event Center website

The Basics: St. Louis Blues

It’s been a downhill trend for the Blues since St. Louis won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

The Blues lost in the first round of the NHL playoffs in 2020 and 2021, lost in the second round in 2022 and did not qualify for the playoffs the last two seasons.

But St. Louis is under the direction of head coach Drew Bannister to start this season. He took over behind the bench in December of last year, replacing Craig Berube, who led the Blues to their Stanley Cup in 2019.

St. Louis returns all six of its 20-plus goal scorers from last season: Jordan Kyrou (31), Pavel Buchnevich (27), Jake Neighbours (27), Brandon Saad (26), Robert Thomas (26) and Brayden Schenn (20).

The Blues will be without one of their defenders, as Torey Krug will miss the entire 2024-25 season due to surgery on his left ankle.

The Basics: Utah Hockey Club

The Utah Hockey Club – which does not have a mascot or nickname yet – is an NHL expansion team based in Salt Lake City.

Unlike other expansion teams, the Utah Hockey Club is not starting from scratch. The team relocated – formerly the Phoenix Coyotes from 1996-2014 and the Arizona Coyotes from 2014 to 2024 – to Utah from Arizona.

The Coyotes failed to make the playoffs the last four seasons and struggled to find a profitable arena for home games. Because of these challenges, Arizona suspended hockey operations after the 2023-24 season and all players, staff and draft picks were transferred to the Utah Hockey Club.

Utah should start the season off strong because of this arrangement.

The Salt Lake City-based team features Clayton Keller, who finished last season with 33 goals. Utah brought in a few veterans in the offseason, including Stanley Cup-winning defenders Mikhail Sergachev and Ian Cole.

Will all the players from Sunday’s preseason game play in the NHL this season?

No. During the regular season, each team can have a maximum of 23 players on its roster, and opening day rosters must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 7.

Both St. Louis and Utah’s online rosters have well over the maximum allowed. Those rosters will be cut down as teams work after training camp and preseason games.

When is the first day of the NHL season?

It’s an international start to the season for the National Hockey League, with the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres playing back-to-back games on Oct. 4 and 5 in Prague, Czechia.

Games will kick off in North America on Oct. 8: St. Louis vs. Seattle, Boston vs. Florida and Chicago vs. Utah.

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

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No. 10 Utah seeks to avenge loss in rematch with fellow Big 12 newcomer Arizona

Published

5 hours ago

September 26, 2024

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No. 10 Utah seeks to avenge loss in rematch with fellow Big 12 newcomer Arizona

Arizona (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) at No. 10 Utah (4-0, 1-0), Saturday, 10:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Utah by 12 1/2.

Series record: Utah 26-20-2.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Following a bye week, Arizona officially opens Big 12 play against fellow league newcomer Utah. The Wildcats routed the Utes 42-18 a year ago to snap a six-game losing streak in the series. Utah looked impressive in a 22-19 win over Oklahoma State and is eager to dish out revenge. Arizona could use an upset win to resolve questions about its offense following a 31-7 loss to Kansas State two weeks earlier.

KEY MATCHUP

Can Arizona’s front seven stop Utah’s resurgent rushing attack? The Utes piled up a season-high 249 yards on the ground against Oklahoma State. Micah Bernard led the way with a career-best 182 yards on a career-high 25 carries. The Wildcats have allowed 222.5 rushing yards per game against FBS opponents this season.

Oklahoma State safety Trey Rucker (9) trips Utah running back Micah Bernard (2) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla. Credit: AP/Mitch Alcala

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arizona: Moving the chains against Utah will come down to how much Tetairoa McMillan is involved in the offense. McMillan tallied 116 yards and a touchdown on eight catches versus the Utes a year ago. He has nine career games with 100 or more receiving yards and leads the Big 12 with 151.0 receiving yards per game.

Utah: Will Bernard make it four in a row? Bernard is the first Utah running back since Ty Jordan in 2020 to put up three straight 100-yard rushing games after having just two 100-games in his career entering the season. He leads the Big 12 with 456 total rushing yards while averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

FACTS & FIGURES

Utah leads the Big 12 with 3.0 sacks per game. Utes defensive end Van Fillinger tops the league with 5.5 sacks through four games. … Arizona QB Noah Fifita needs three touchdown passes to pass Matt Scott for 12th place in the school’s career passing touchdowns list. … Utah leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in time of possession (36:21). … Arizona’s last road win against Utah came in 2014. … Utah is one of three Big 12 teams – along with UCF and Kansas State – rushing for at least 200 yards per game while holding opponents under 100. The Utes average 206.3 rushing yards and allow 93.8 yards on the ground per contest.

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Utah’s Brant Kuithe throws shade at OSU fans after big win: ‘It wasn’t loud at all’

Published

16 hours ago

September 26, 2024

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Utah’s Brant Kuithe throws shade at OSU fans after big win: ‘It wasn’t loud at all’

Utah’s Brant Kuithe had a standout performance in the Utes’ recent victory over Oklahoma State, finding the endzone twice in the now-No. 10-ranked Utes’ win.

Kuithe’s first touchdown came on a run play that has been a part of Utah’s playbook since he joined the team, but rarely used. Reflecting on his scoring play, Kuithe expressed satisfaction in getting a chance to take handoffs, a departure from his usual role as a pass-catcher. “It was nice, to be back there and take some handoffs too, but can’t complain,” Kuithe said via UteZone.

The play that had everyone talking, though, was Kuithe’s second touchdown, where he calmly walked into the endzone. “I saw the guy on the ground and knew there wasn’t anyone else around,” he said. “There’d be no point in running into the endzone. It was hot, and I kind of got tired, so I just walked in and felt good.”

Quarterback Isaac Wilson, in his second career start for the Utes, was responsible for delivering the pass on Kuithe’s second touchdown. Kuithe praised Wilson’s poise, acknowledging that while the young quarterback made some mistakes, he maintained his composure and helped guide the team to victory. “He kept his composure throughout the whole game, made a few mistakes, just like all of us, but came out with the win. That’s the only thing we can ask for,” Kuithe noted.

WATCH: Utah’s Brant Kuithe 45-yard insane walk-in touchdown vs. Oklahoma State

The environment at Oklahoma State’s Boone Pickens Stadium was also a point of discussion after the game, though Kuithe expressed surprise at how underwhelming it was compared to the hype. “No disrespect to them, but it wasn’t loud at all,” Kuithe said. He even mentioned that Utah’s home games are louder, suggesting that Oklahoma State’s struggles on the field may have contributed to the subdued atmosphere.

Despite the offense showing flashes of its potential without veteran quarterback Cam Rising, Kuithe believes there is more to come. He looks forward to Rising’s eventual return, hoping it will add another dimension to the Utes’ offense. “Obviously, we have a lot of games left… Cam hasn’t been playing since really the first game, and excited to get him back,” Kuithe remarked.

As the Utes prepare for their next game against Arizona, Kuithe remains confident and excited to play at Rice-Eccles Stadium again. “We’ll be ready for them for sure,” he added, signaling Utah’s continued focus and determination.

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Some “High School Musical Stars” are returning to Utah for FanX

Published

1 day ago

September 25, 2024

Press Room

Some “High School Musical Stars” are returning to Utah for FanX

Some of the stars from “High School Musical” are returning to Utah for this fall’s FanX.

The hit musical was filmed in 2006 at East High School in 2006 and aired on Disney Channel.

“High School Musical” follows student Troy Bolton, played by Zac Efron, the captain of his basketball team, and Gabriella Montez, played by Vanessa Hudgens, an academically gifted transfer student.

Together they audition for the lead roles in their high school musical, causing division among the school’s cliques.

Ro Malaga, with FanX will be moderating the “High School Musical” panel at FanX with stars Lucas Grabeel, Kaycee Stroh, Corbin Blue and Bart Johnson.

Ro actually taught Zach Efron the choreography for the movie.

FanX is September 26-28, 2024 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

For tickets and more information please visit: FanXSaltLake.com.

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