The wait to purchase official Utah Hockey Club jerseys finally ended Friday, just hours before the team hosts the Vegas Golden Knights in Salt Lake City.
Expect long lines to form at the team store at the Delta Center for the first jersey drop for the franchise arriving from Phoenix on April 18. Only a handful of players’ jerseys will be available, including Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz. But fans will be able to customize blank jerseys of the club playing the inaugural season.
Don’t be surprised to see some of Utah’s backup goalie Karel Vejmelka’s No. 70 in the stands for Friday’s game.
Vejmelka, making his fourth start of the season, made a career-high 49 saves to help lead Utah to a 4-1 win over Carolina on Wednesday. He was serenaded with chants of “veggie, wedgie, wedgie” as he circled the ice after earning the No. 1 star in the sporting honors.
“This is unreal,” the normally reserved Vejmelka said after throwing wild punches into the crowd. “It’s a moment I’ll definitely remember. It’s a memorable night for me and everyone else. It’s a huge game for us.”
“Incredible,” forward Nick Bjugstad, who scored his first two goals of the season on Wednesday, said of Vejmelka’s performance. “We’re grateful to her. She had an amazing night.”
Utah had to eliminate the Hurricanes’ 11-minute power play in the third period, including a 5-on-3 portion, as Carolina had 18 shots on goal. Utah also stopped 26 shots in the contest, including six each by defensemen Ian Cole and Mikhail Sergachev.
“Hopefully we won’t get used to defending too much on the (penalty kill),” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “Veggie was good, guys were blocking shots, we defended the slot in our zone pretty well.”
Vegas moves to Pacific Division-leading Salt Lake City with 22 points after a 3-2 win in Anaheim on Wednesday. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his team-high ninth goal early in the third period, which proved to be the game-winner.
Adin Hill returned after allowing four goals on 21 shots in his previous start against Carolina and blocked 22 of the Ducks’ 24 shots.
It was just the second road win in seven games (2-3-2) for the Golden Knights, who improved to 25-7-1 against Anaheim, including 11-4-1 at the Honda Center.
The contest was the beginning of November with Vegas playing seven of eight games on the road. It also marked the beginning of a two-game, four-day Father’s Trip for the Golden Knights. Vegas improved to 10–0–1 in such games.
“It’s always fun,” Hill said. “The records speak for themselves during the Fathers Trip. It’s always nice when we can find a way to get two points.”
As the players walked off the ice on their way to the locker room after the contest, a long line of their fathers in jerseys were seen and given high-fives. The players’ fathers went whale watching in Newport Beach before Wednesday’s game and were visiting with a team at the ski resort of Park City, Utah, on Thursday.
“(The dad) is happy,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Their team won, and they’re part of it. … This is the bonding part that fathers and sons go through. That’s what they’ve earned, and I’m happy for them.”
This will be the second of three meetings this month between the Golden Knights and Utah. Vegas won its first, 4–3 on November 2 in Las Vegas on Brett Howden’s overtime goal.
–Field Level Media
