Category: NHL

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Len Shapiro Fri Apr 18, 2025: Playoffs begin Saturday night; Eight games in total

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The Winnipeg Jets Dylan Samberg (54), Neil Pionk (4), Cole Perfetti (91), Nino Niederreiter (62), celebrate Pionk’s goal against the Anaheim Ducks in the second period on Wed Apr 16, 2025 during the final regular season game in Winnipeg. The Jets are the favorites in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to make the finals as they face off against the St Louis Blues on Sat Apr 19, 2025. (Canadian Press photo via AP)

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Len Shapiro Fri Apr 18, 2025:

#1 Len, lets take a run down of the the NHL Playoff series. Starting with the St Louis Blues (44-30-8) and Winnipeg Jets (56-22-4). The Jets are the winner of this year’s presidents cup do you see them as the favorites in the Stanley Cup on Saturday night?

#2 The Ottawa Senators (45-35-7) going against the Toronto Maple Leafs (52-26-4) on Sun Apr 20th.

#3 The battle of the Florida teams it’s a real rivalry going on with the Florida Panthers ((47-31-4) they’ll take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8) starting Tue Apr 22.

#4 Mon Apr 21 it’s the Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11) going up against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (51-22-9) at the Capital Center on Mon Apr 21st.

#5 New Jersey Devils (42-33-7) against the Carolina Hurricanes (47-30-5) this Sun Apr 20th.

#6 Sat Apr 19 it’ll be the Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4) at the Dallas Stars (50-26-6).

#7 Sun Apr 20 Minnesota Wild (45-30-7) at the Las Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-10)

#8 The Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5) will be facing off against the Los Angeles Kings (48-24-9) on Monday Apr 21st at Crypto.com Arena.

Len Shapiro does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks vs Oilers on April 16 2024

Edmonton Shuts Out Sharks in Final Game of the Season 3-0

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Sharks vs. Oilers in the Final game of the season at SAP Center in San Jose on April 16, 2025 (Edmonton Oilers Media)

By Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE, CA — The Saddest day for fans has come, at least for the San Jose Sharks. Wednesday night, the Sharks got shutout 3-0 at SAP Arena and played their 82nd game of the season against the Edmonton Oilers.

For the Oilers, a final rehearsal before going to real-time against the Los Angeles Kings for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs while the Sharks have tons of things to reflect on as they head on to off season.

A week full of mixed feelings and nostalgia for Sharks fans: Logan Couture decided to hang up the skates and retire. A standing ovation was well received by the Former Captain Couture who was at the game and where also Sharks royalty was in attendance such as Joe Thornton.

The Sharks once again finished last in the Western Conference and last in overall standings. There are some positives within the bad picture… there is a sense of hope for the upcoming season.

The 2024-25 Sharks season concluded with a 20-50-12 record slightly better than 19-54-9 record from the 2023-24 season.

Overall, the Sharks will get the First draft pick in the upcoming NHL Draft in June.

Edmonton came into this game with nothing to lose; it was up to the Sharks to close things out with a home win again at a nearly sold-out SAP Center.

Connor McDavid, one of the prodigies of this era of the NHL, recorded 100 points this season, marking his eighth season of scoring 100 goals in his ten years in the league.

Ty Emberson scored the Oilers’ first goal of the night just eight minutes into the first period.

Max Jones pushed the Oilers’ lead to 2-0 at 10:17 of the second period. Adam Henrique passed a puck from behind the net to the top of the crease, and Jones beat Georgiev by the blocker.

The veteran Corey Perry closed out the regular season with a goal assisted by Kasperi Kapanen.

The Sharks unfortunately couldn’t score, but the team’s fans showed their deepest gratitude at the end of the season filled with changes, joy, sadness, but with the faith that things will get better.

Now, it’s time to focus on what lies ahead in the offseason.

But for now, there’s still hockey to enjoy because the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this coming April 19th.

San Jose Sharks podcast Fernando Abarca Wed Apr 16, 2025: Oilers-Sharks meet up for final game of the season for San Jose at SAP Arena

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San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) celebrates with William Eklund (right) and Will Smith (left) after scoring a third period goal against the Los Angeles Kings on Mon Nov 25, 2024 at SAP Center in San Jose. The Sharks play their last game of the season against the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center on Wed Apr 16, 2025 (AP News file photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Fernando:

#1 Fernando, this is the last game of the season for the San Jose Sharks this was a season that had lots of positives and lots of negatives.

#2 Will Smith, William Eklund and Macklin Celebrini are the future of this franchise try as hard as they did there was only so much they could do.

#3 The Sharks once again finished last in the NHL Pacific Division and had the worst record at 20-49-12 and had only 52 points in the Western Conference.

#4 One of the big things for an NHL franchise is goaltending, the Sharks future relies on good defense and who protecting the net between the pipes talk about the job that goaltenders Alex Georgiev and Georgi Ramanov did this season?

#5 The Sharks conclude this 2024-25 season tonight at SAP Center against the Edmonton Oilers this is the third meeting between the two teams since April 3rd. The Oilers have taken the first two games of the three with this last game and having seeing the Oilers twice already does that somewhat give the Sharks a prospective on the Oilers that they could take this game tonight?

Fernando Abarca is a San Jose Sharks beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast Charanbir Mahal (INDTVUSA) Wed Apr 16, 2025: Couture just couldn’t recover from 2024 injury; Sharks captain forced into retirement

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San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture (39) seen walking down the runway to the ice at SAP Center in San Jose had announced that he was retiring from hockey on Tue Apr 14, 2025 (photo by San Jose Sharks)

San Jose Sharks podcast Charanbir Mahal:

#1 San Jose Sharks team captain Logan Couture is hanging up the skates after playing in the NHL and all 15 seasons with the San Jose Sharks from 2009-10 to 2023-24. Couture had been suffering from a debilitating injury where he played six games in Jan 2024 before having to go out with the injury.

#2 Charanbir, talk about the impact that it had on the team when Couture was out with the injury and it just kept being prolonged that he wasn’t coming back and people realized it was more serious than it first looked?

#3 Couture’s injury came when he couldn’t skate anymore in January 2024. The Sharks medical team decided the decision had to be made that Couture had to stop playing until he was physically able to improve.

#4 The debilitating injury that Couture was suffering from was called ostetis pubis it’s an inflammation of the joint between the left and right pubic bones. The injury was so bad that he couldn’t skate or even practice and the expectations were Couture would make it back but Couture couldn’t recover enough to get back to playing again.

#5 Couture 36, was a presence in the Sharks dressing room and he lifted the spirits of San Jose. He was the glue and the players responded around him and even during the Sharks post season years.

Charanbir Mahal is a reporter for INDTVUSA, does Sharks Snap Shot, and San Jose Sharks podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Lose 2-1 in OT to Canucks, Celebrini Scores 25th

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San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrni (71) celebrates his second period goal with teammates Nikolai Kovalenko (15), Luca Cagnoni (42), and Tyler Toffoli (73) against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Center in Vancouver on Mon Apr 14, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks lost 2-1 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks Monday. The loss is the tenth in a row for the Sharks, their longest of the season. Linus Karlsson and Jake DeBrusk scored for Vancouver. Nikita Tolopilo made 15 saves for the win. Macklin Celebrini took the lead in the rookie scoring race with his power play goal, despite having played many fewer games than his closest competition. Alexandar Georgiev made a heroic 35 saves in the loss.

After the game, Luca Cagnoni talked about earning an assist in a game after a late-night call up from the Barracuda: “It’s pretty special. It’s kind of funny how it works, you get two home-town guys playing and on the score sheet. It’s not what it’s all about but it’s a cool moment for sure.”

The story of the first period was Alexandar Georgiev, keeping the game scoreless despite a shot disparity of 12-3 for the Canucks. The Sharks had more time on the penalty kill with a double-minor against and one power play.

The first goal of the game came from Macklin Celebrini on a Sharks power play at 4:20 of the second period. Celebrini skated to the faceoff dot and beat Tolopilo with a wrist shot. Assists went to Tyler Toffoli and Luca Cagnoni.

The shots for the second period were even at seven. The Canucks took two minor penalties and the Sharks took one.

The Canucks tied the game at 9:02 of the third period. Linus Karlsson beat Celebrini to the Sharks net and put away a rebound off a shot from Teddy Blueger. An assist also went to Drew O’Connor.

The Canucks made a valiant push, outshooting the Sharks 10-5 in the third, but could not get that second goal. The Sharks took two penalties in the third and had no power plays.

That shot disparity continued into overtime, 8-1 Canucks. It took them 4:42 to score but they finally did, as a puck came off the end boards and landed perfectly for Jake DeBrusk to shoot it under Georgiev. Assists went to Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes.

The Sharks will play their final game of the season in San Jose against the Oilers on Wednesday at 7:30 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 5-2 to Flames, Toffoli Scores 30th

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San Jose Sharks’ Tyler Toffoli (73) scores on Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf (32) during first period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 5-2 to the Calgary Flames Sunday. MacKenzie Weegar, Adam Klapka, Yegor Sharangovich and Matt Coronato scored for Calgary. Dustin Wolf made 28 saves for the win. The win preserves playoff hopes for Calgary fans as the team avoided elimination. Tyler Toffoli and Jan Rutta scored for San Jose. Toffoli’s goal was his 30th of the season, for the third season in a row. Georgi Romanov made 25 saves in the loss. It was the ninth loss in a row for the Sharks.

After the game, Tyler Toffoli talked about the season’s many losses:

“We’ve been in so many games this year and blown so many leads in stupid ways, that I think if everyone reflects in the right way going into the summer and comes into training camp next year it could be a completely different season.”

Jan Rutta also commented on the team’s tendency to lose: “We’ve been playing well enough to win a lot of games and always found a way to lose.”

Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky was asked what he wanted the young players to learn from these losses. He said: “How hard it is to win in this league, how you can’t get caught taking a breath at any moment, that it’s a fine line between winning and losing.”

The Sharks took the lead at 3:09 of the first period. Tyler Toffoli scored his 30th of the season with a wrist shot from right in front of the blue paint. Assists went to Lucas Carlsson and Noah Gregor.

Calgary tied it up with their fourth shot of the game at 9:24. After the Sharks twice failed to clear the zone, MacKenzie Weegar scored with a shot from the top of the faceoff circle. Assists went to Adam Klapka and Jonathan Huberdeau.

Calgary took the lead at 14:15 with a goal from Klapka. Klapka skated to the net as Nazem Kadri carried the puck in along the boards and then centered it for the snap shot. An assist went to Huberdeau as well.

At the end of the first period, the Sharks led in shots 15-6. The only penalty in the period went against the Sharks for too many men on the ice.

The Sharks tied it up 4:20 into the second period. Jan Rutta scored with a backhand as he skated by the net. Assists went to William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli.

The second period was as lopsided as the first, though this time the shots favored Calgary 16-5. The Sharks again took the only penalty of the period, a high-stick against Timothy Lijegren.

Calgary took the lead back with their third goal 1:30 into the third period. Yegor Sharangovich scored with a snap shot for his 100th career NHL goal. Assists went to Morgan Frost and Brayden Pachal.

The Flames padded that lead with a fourth goal at 10:55, a wrist shot in front of the net from Coronato. Assists went to Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman.

Sharangovich scored his second of the game into an empty net at 17:16. Rasmus Anderson got the assist.

The Flames took their two penalties of the game in the third period but it did not hurt their result, with the shots nearly even at 10-8 Sharks.

The Sharks will play their final road game of the season on Monday in Vancouver against the Canucks at 7:00 PM PT.

Sharks Fall 4-2 to Oilers, Losing Streak at Eight

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San Jose Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow (23) looks for an opening against Edmonton Oilers’ goalie Calvin Pickardback right, while under pressure from Max Jones (46), and Matvey Petrov, front right, during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Friday, April 11, 2025. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)AMBER BRACKEN/AP

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 4-2 to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. Evan Bouchard, Ty Emberson, Corey Perry and Connor Brown scored for Edmonton. Connor McDavid had assists on all four goals. Calvin Pickard made 22 saves in the game. The win clinched the Oilers’ position in the playoffs at third in the Pacific Division. Will Smith and Henry Thrun scored for the Sharks. Georgi Romanov made 30 saves. The loss was the eighth in a row for the Sharks.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said:

“You would never know we only have 20 wins. I give a lot of credit to our group. We’re competing. Little slow start but we got it going there, had some good chances, good chances to tie it up. I gotta give a lot of credit to the group. They’re continuing to compete. They’re not looking at their record.”

On the other hand, Warsofsky pointed out that the team made some familiar errors, taking too many penalties: “If you put a team on the power play five times, it doesn’t matter if it’s McDavid or anyone else in the League, they’re gonna make you pay. That’s what happened tonight.”

Alexander Wennberg talked about that penalty problem, in particular the stick penalties: “Obviously, some of the calls we kind of disagree with but it’s part of the game as well. Obviously, play a little more to the body, get your sticks together and be more careful.”

Evan Bouchard started the scoring for Edmonton with a power play goal at 6:47 of the first period. After passing back and forth high in the zone with Connor McDavid, Bouchard took the shot from the slot through traffic. McDavid and Adam Henrique got the assists.

Ty Emberson made it 2-0 at 15:41. McDavid sent the puck to the net just as Emberson arrived there for a tip-in. McDavid and Bouchard got the assists.

Will Smith trimmed that lead with a goal at 17:13. Smith dumped the pucj in from the neutral zone sand then followed it in. Nikolai Kovalenko won the puck near the boards and passed it to Smith for a shot through traffic.

The Sharks were badly outshot in the first period, 14-6. The Sharks took two penalties and had one power play at the end of the period.

Henry Thrun tied the game at 5:44 of the second period. He gathered up the puck along the boards and shot it into traffic from a tight angle. It was the defenseman’s second of the season. William Eklund got the assist.

The shots were closer in the second, 12-9 Oilers. The Sharks again took two penalties to the Oilers’ one.

Corey Perry scored the game winner on the power play at 7:32 of the third period. He tipped a Connor McDavid shot that came from the boards. An assist also went to Adam Henrique.

Connor Brown scored on a breakaway into the empty net at 19:34. Assists went to Darnell Nurse and Connor McDavid.

The Sharks next play on Sunday in Calgary against the Flames at 5:00 PM PT.

San Jose Sharks podcast Mary Lisa: Sharks play second of three games in two weeks with Oilers in Edmonton tonight

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Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery (29) defends in front of the net as San Jose Sharks center Cam Lund (46) tries to apply the pressure in the second period at the XCel Energy Center in St Paul on Thu Apr 10, 2025 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 Minnesota Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek got a hat trick plus one more goal in the Wild’s 8-7 win over the San Jose Sharks at the Excel Energy Center. The Sharks defense couldn’t get a handle on stopping Ek.

#2 The Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal in overtime. The Wild dominated in the first and second periods with two goals and three goals respectively.

#3 With the win the Wild move into the first wild card position in the Western Conference with the St Louis Blues loosing to the Edmonton Oilers in later scheduled game.

#4 The Sharks Macklin Celebrini scored three goals and had two assists and teammate Will Smith had three assists. The Sharks got goals from Tyler Toffoli, and Nikolai Kovalenko. Goaltender Alex Georgiev saved 36 shots.

#5 The task doesn’t get easier as the Sharks are in Edmonton tonight to face the Oilers. The Oilers are third in the Pacific Division at 45-28-5 having won five of their last ten games. For the Sharks dead last in the Pacific Division and their currently on a seven game losing streak.

Mary Lisa does the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast Len Shapiro Fri Apr 11, 2025: Blackhawks score 3 third period goals in 1:33; Panthers closing in on Lightning; plus more news

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Apr 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno (17) shoots and scores a goal while Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke (52) defends during the second period at TD Garden. Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

NHL podcast Len Shapiro Fri Apr 11, 2025:

#1 The Chicago Blackhawks shot a barrage of four goals in the third period and scored three of those goals in a span of 1:33 against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston on Thursday for a 5-2 win. The Hawks Nick Foligno scored twice and Ryan Donato picked up his 30th goal for the first time in his NHL career. It was a sweet win for the struggling Blackhawks who had lost six of their last seven games.

#2 Brad Marchand scored his first goal as a Florida Panthers as the Panthers upended the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise Florida. The Panthers Evan Rodrigues, Mackie Samoskevich, and Alexsander Barkov all scored. The Panthers are now just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.

#3 Columbus Blue Jackets Jet Greaves saved 39 shots and the Jackets came back from behind to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Thursday night. Greaves got called up from AHL Cleveland after Elvis Merzlikins had to leave morning skate due to a undisclosed injury.

#4  The Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin was honored before the Capitals game Thursday night for setting an NHL record for most goals with his 895th career goal against the New York Islanders on Sunday. Ovechkin picked up an assist to extend his six game point streak in Thursday’s game as well.

#5 The Capitals in the game defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 at the Capital Center in DC. The Caps win clinched the number one seed in the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tom Wilson also picked up his 33rd goal of the year and the Caps are now 8-1-0 in their last nine games.

#6 The Winnipeg Jets one of the hottest teams in the NHL and the number one seed for the Presidents Cup. The Jets 54-21-4 and they pass the audition.

Len Shapiro does the NHL podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah HC Concludes Inaugural Season Home Schedule With 4-3 Shootout Loss To Nashville

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Utah Hockey Fans show their appreciation on the final home game of the 2024-25 first season for the franchise as they played the Nashville Predators (Utah Hockey Club X photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Dylan Guenther scored the new franchise’s first and final home goals this season, but Utah falls to the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout.

The Minnesota Wild ended Utah Hockey Club’s Wild Card pursuit on Wednesday night when they defeated the San Jose Sharks in Minneapolis. On Thursday, Utah HC returned to the Delta Center ice following their franchise record 7-1 thrashing of the Seattle Kraken two nights earlier to wrap up their 2024-2025 inaugural season home schedule against the Nashville Predators. It was exactly one year ago that Phoenix Coyotes players were informed that they were moving to Utah.

The first period turned into a battle of defenses as Nashville netminder Juuse Saros turned away 11 Utah shots while Karel Vejmelka, making his 22nd consecutive start in goal, turned away all five shots from the Predators.

Utah forward Nick Bjugstad kicked off the scoring at 4:49 of the second period with a steep angle snap shot which found the hole between the left shoulder of Saros and the upper corner of the net for his seventh goal of the season, assisted by Alexander Kerfoot.

At 13:54, Jack McBain hit the center of the crossbar with a shot which rebounded to Josh Doan in front of the net who wristed it past Saros for his sixth goal of the season to make it 2-0 Utah. With 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the frame, Logan Cooley was whistled for tripping against Zachary L’Heureux. On the power play, Nashville defenseman Nick Blankenburg cut Utah’s lead in half with his 4th goal of the season, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O’Reilly.

The Predators began the third period on the power play again thanks to a Sean Durzi hooking penalty committed against Filip Forsberg with less than a second remaining in the previous period. At 1:19, Forsberg cashed in the man-advantage with his 31st goal of the season, assisted by Brady Skjei and Steven Stamkos, tying the score at 2-2. Two minutes later the Delta Center crowd was stunned as Ryan O’Reilly gave Nashville their first lead of the night with his 19th goal, assisted by Michael Bunting. That lead would last less than three minutes as Dylan Guenther knocked a rebound on a shot from Logan Cooley into a wide open net for his 27th of the season with the additional assist to captain Clayton Keller. The two goaltenders locked things down for the rest of regulation and the overtime period.

The final home game of the inaugural season would go all the way to a shootout. Juuse Saros was perfect in shutting down Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Dylan Guenther. Karel Vejmelka was able to stop Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos, but surrendered the final shot to Filip Forsberg on a backhand to give Nashville the shootout win. Utah went 3-1-1 in their final homestand, finishing the regular season with a 18-15-8 home record. Guenther ended up recording the franchise’s first goal on opening night against the Chicago Blackhawks, and scored the team’s final home goal of the season on Thursday night, which also happened to be the sniper’s 22nd birthday.

At the conclusion of the game, all of the Utah players came out on the ice to acknowledge fans, and a number of awards were presented. Barrett Hayton received the “All-In” award which was voted by the fans. Alexander Kerfoot received the “Community Obsessed” award for his involvement in the community. The “Three Stars” award was given to Dylan Guenther for having been selected as one of the Three Stars 16 times this season, including nine First Star recognitions. Captain Clayton Keller received the “Leading Scorer” award, having scored 27 goals and 58 assists for 85 total points in 78 games. Finally, the “Team MVP” was awarded to netminder Karel Vejmelka, whose 22 consecutive starts is the most in the NHL since Darcy Kuemper of the Arizona Coyotes started 22 six years ago. He has gone 12-6-4 during the streak. Team owner Ryan Smith thanked the fans for their support throughout the year, and told everyone that this was just the beginning.

In the locker room Vejmelka talked about what winning MVP means to him. “It’s a great feeling, especially (the) first year. But I would say it’s a team trophy and a team award. I couldn’t get a trophy without the guys, without (my) teammates. They’re a big part of it and I really appreciate it.” Utah’s fans have serenaded Vejmelka with chants of VEG-GIE and recently began throwing broccoli onto the ice to acknowledge his play. When asked about it, Vejmelka responded, “Yeah, it’s getting crazy. I like to see that, and I can’t wait to see that again next season. It’s a really cool feeling, especially on the ice, and I really feel that support. So like I said, I really appreciate it.” With regard to his mental and physical preparation during his streak, he added, “It’s about consistency and just playing the right way. I don’t want to really complicate things, I just want to play simple, and just enjoy the game as well. It’s a big part of it, and it’s still the game. It was a really great feeling to be (on the) hunt and play for something, (and not) just play the last couple of games for nothing. It’s a good feeling for next season, and hopefully we’re going to be even better.”

Utah captain Clayton Keller talked about the fan reaction to the award ceremony. “It was awesome. It’s been a whirlwind since the end of last season, from top to bottom. Ryan and Ashley (Smith), Chris Armstrong, all the sacrifices that they made to make this transition easy, (and) giving us every source. The fans as well; since day one, you could tell the excitement. We’re super hungry for next year, and this is just the beginning. There’s lots to look forward to.” What was it like playing in front of the home crowd for the last time this season? “Just a special moment. First season here in NHL history. Sometimes it’s crazy to think about that, how quickly it happened and how great of a move it’s been. So just super thankful. So many people gave us a great position to be successful and I couldn’t be more excited for next year.” With regard to Vejmelka’s MVP, Keller added, “Well deserved. He’s been unbelievable. I don’t know how many starts in a row that is, but he’s been unbelievable all year long, making saves when we needed it, giving us lots of confidence. Great teammate, great guy. Signed a nice deal and you couldn’t ask for a better guy and goalie as well. Super excited to have him locked up for a long time and like I said, well deserved.”

Head coach André Tourigny began his media session talking about the final home game in Utah’s inaugural season. “It was special for us. It was the team’s first year and there were a lot of emotions. There were a lot of connections with the crowd and the way they supported us, we wanted to play for them and play in front of them. It’s just tough right now to comprehend that there’s no more this year. We’re addicted now. We’re looking forward to the next one, but we’ll have to wait a little bit.” When asked how players around the league might perceive Utah as a desirable destination for free agents, Bear responded, “You do things right or everybody will know. Here, we do things right and the players are happy. The way the people of Utah, not just our fans, have been with our players off the ice and on the ice and the pour of love and all, everything’s been so positive. I think that word will go around and go into the NHL player community, and that will help our recruiting. No doubt about it.” When asked about the player awards, Tourigny said, “A coach is like a father and you want everybody to be recognized. Those five players have been recognized and they all deserve it, no doubt about it. But there’s a lot of guys, unsung heroes, on our team that I would have loved to see them be rewarded as well. I understand we need to have limits, but I think there are a lot of guys who put their heart into the job this year, and they helped us make this year a special year.”

Utah now hits the road for the final three games of the season against Dallas, Nashville, and St. Louis. The next time fans pour into Delta Center for hockey, their team will have a new identity, whether Mammoth, Outlaws, or a surprise announcement. Stay tuned.