Grizzlies Gameday: Huge Friday Night Game in Boise
April 12, 2024 - ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release
Utah Grizzlies (31-35-4, 66 points, .471 Win %) @ Idaho Steelheads (46-20-2-2, 96 points, .686 Win %) Date: April 12, 2024 Venue: Idaho Central Arena Game Time: 7:10 pm.
Streaming: FloHockey: https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11056589-2024-utah-grizzlies-vs-idaho steelheads?nav_id=75
Audio/Radio: Utah Grizzlies YouTube channel. - https://www.youtube.com/@THEUTAHGRIZZLIES
This Week's Road Games
Friday - Utah at Idaho. 7:10 pm. Idaho Central Arena.
Saturday, April 13, 2024 - Utah at Idaho. 7:10 pm. Idaho Central Arena.
Friday's Matchup
It's the next to last game of the 2023-24 regular season for the Grizzlies. It's the 13th of fourteen meetings this season between the clubs. There are 4 teams battling for the final 2 Mountain division playoff spots. The Grizzlies are tied with Allen for fourth place in the Mountain division with 66 points. Tulsa is in third place with 67 standings points. Tulsa and Allen face-off against each other in a three-game series this weekend from Friday through Sunday. Wichita still has hopes of the playoffs as they have 63 points, and they are at Rapid City for a three-game series this Friday through Sunday.
Utah went 21-12-2 at home on the season, outscoring teams 121 to 115. The Grizz have outscored opponents 50 to 35 in the third periods over their last 34 games (second half of the season). Utah is 6-0-4 in games decided past regulation. Utah is 23-5-3 when scoring first this season.
Kyle Mayhew has a point in 9 of his last 10 games. Mayhew leads all league rookie defensemen with 56 points (15, 41 assists). Josh Wesley leads all league defensemen with 18 goals as well as 8 power play goals. Brett Stapley leads Utah with 47 assists and 71 points, ranking in the top ten in both categories. Brandon Cutler has a point in 10 of his last 12 games (6 goals, 10 assists).
Playoff Race Runs Wild in the Mountain Division
3rd- Tulsa - 69 games played, 29-31-8-1 record - 67 Points. 3 games left (1 at home, 2 at Allen).
Tied for 4th
Utah - 70 games played, 31-35-4 record - 66 points. 2 games left (2 at Idaho).
Allen - 69 games played, 31-34-3-1 record - 66 Points. 3 games left (3 vs Tulsa - 2 home, 1 away).
Key Mountain Division Games to Watch
Friday, April 12 - Tulsa at Allen. 6:10 pm.
Friday, April 12 - Wichita at Rapid City. 7:05 pm.
Saturday, April 13 - Tulsa at Allen. 6:10 pm.
Saturday, April 13 - Wichita at Rapid City. 7:05 pm.
Sunday, April 14 - Allen at Tulsa - 3:05 pm.
All Times Mountain.
Kyle Mayhew Named to ECHL All-Rookie Team
Utah Grizzlies defenseman Kyle Mayhew was named to the ECHL All-Rookie team for the 2023-24 season as determined in a vote of ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media, who were asked to select a goaltender, two defensemen and three forwards.
Mayhew led all league rookies with 56 points this season (15 goals, 41 assists). He is tied for second among all league defenseman in goals. Mayhew is third among all league rookies with 19 power play assists and is tied for second with 23 power play points.
Mayhew becomes the fourth player in the Grizzlies ECHL era to be named to the All-Rookie Team, joining Benjamin Tardif and Luke Martin, who both made it in the 2021-22 season as well as Matthew Boucher, who made it in the 2020-21 season. Boucher also won the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year award.
2023-24 ECHL All-Rookie Team
G - Matt Vernon, Jacksonville Icemen (37 gp, 25-8-4, 2.48 GAA, .916 save pct.)
D - Kyle Mayhew, Utah Grizzlies (69 gp, 15g, 41a, 56 pts.)
D - Jonny Tychonick, Newfoundland Growlers (51 gp, 6g, 37a, 38 pts.)
F - Max Andreev, Kansas City Mavericks (61 gp, 19g, 53a, 72 pts.)
F - Cade Borchardt, Kansas City Mavericks (69 gp, 24g, 50a, 74 pts.)
F - Austin Magera, South Carolina Stingrays (68 gp, 29g, 45a, 74 pts.)
Kyle Mayhew Named Second Team All-ECHL
Kyle Mayhew is on the All-ECHL Second Team. He's the sixth different Grizzlies player in the ECHL era to be named to the first or second team all-league.
Grizzlies Players Named to the All-ECHL Teams
F - Ryan Kinasewich - 2005-06 (Second Team).
F - Ryan Kinasewich - 2009-10 (First Team).
D - Nick Tuzzolino - 2012-13 (Second Team).
F - Caleb Herbert - 2018-19 (First Team).
F - Tim McGauley - 2019-20 (Second Team).
D - Charle-Edouard D'Astous - 2021-22 (First Team).
D - Kyle Mayhew - 2023-24 (Second Team)
2023-24 All-ECHL Second Team
G - Matt Vernon, Jacksonville Icemen (36 gp, 27-8-1, 2.00 GAA, .931 save pct.)
D - Kyle Mayhew, Utah Grizzlies (69 gp, 15g, 41a, 56 pts.)
D - Matt Register, Idaho Steelheads (69 gp, 10g, 51a, 61 pts.)
F - Erik Bradford, Kalamazoo Wings (68 gp, 36g, 57a, 93 pts.)
F - Jack Dugan, Fort Wayne Komets (65 gp, 25g, 55a, 80 pts.)
F - Austin Magera, South Carolina Stingrays (68 gp, 29g, 45a, 74 pts.)
Games Last Week
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - Kansas City 5 Utah 1 - Utah's Alex Beaucage scored 56 seconds into the game. Connor Mayer scored his first professional point with an assist. It was Mayer's pro debut with Utah. KC responded with 5 unanswered goals. Jacob Hayhurst and Cade Borchardt each had 1 goal and 1 assist. KC outshot Utah 35 to 26. Mavericks were 1 for 3 on the power play. Utah was 0 for 1.
Friday, April 5, 2024 - Kansas City 7 Utah 4 - Utah got goals from Alex Beaucage, Brandon Cutler, Josh Wesley and Connor Mayer. KC was led by Jeremy McKenna, who had 2 goals and 3 assists. Jacob Hayhurst had 2 goals and 2 assists. Max Andreev. Had 1 goal and 2 assists for the Mavericks, who clinched the Brabham Cup. Utah was 2 for 4 on the power play and 2 for 2 on the penalty kill.
Saturday, April 6, 2024 - Kansas City 4 Utah 3 (Overtime) - Dylan Fitze scored 2 goals for Utah. Brett Stapley tied the game 3-3 with 4.1 seconds left in regulation. Kansas City got 1 goal and 2 assists from Cade Borchardt and Patrick Curry. Mavericks forward Jeremy McKenna scored the game winner 3:06 into overtime. Utah outshot KC 18 to 3 in the third period and 40 to 28 for the contest. Utah was 1 for 5 on the power play. Kansas City was 1 for 3.
Grizzlies Player Notes
#6 Connor Mayer made his pro debut on April 3 vs Kansas City and he registered an assist in his first pro shift. Mayer scored his first pro goal on April 5 vs KC. Mayer had 7 goals in his 5-year stint at Colorado College.
#7 Brett Stapley had 24 points (8g, 16a) in his last 17 games. The 22 points in March tied for the league lead with Kalamazoo's Erik Bradford. Stapley has a point in 20 of his last 29 games. Stapley leads Utah with 47 assists and 71 points. He leads Utah with 17 multiple point games.
#8 Luke Manning - Scored his first pro goal on March 29 vs Idaho. Manning has a goal in 2 of his last 5 games. Manning had 2 assists on April 5. It was his second multiple point game of the season.
#10 Mick Messner has 4 points (1g, 3a) in his last 5 games. Messner is tied for the league lead among rookies with 3 shorthanded goals.
#13 Dylan Fitze has 13 goals and 10 assists in his last 21 games. Fitze has a point in 8 of his last 11 games (6g, 7a).
#20 Josh Wesley leads all league defensemen with 18. Wesley leads all league defensemen with 8 power play goals. Wesley is 2nd among league defenseman with 187 shots on goal. Wesley has 4 goals and 8 assists in his last 14 games.
#21 Tyler Penner has appeared in 214 consecutive regular season games for Utah, 238 if you include the playoffs.
#24 Nathan Burke is 4th on the club with 18 goals.
#25 Cole Gallant has 9 points in 14 games in March (3g, 6a). Gallant has 8 different 2 assist games. Gallant is 3rd on the club with 34 assists.
#26 Alex Beaucage scored 2 goals and 3 assists vs RC on March 8. Beaucage had 16 points (6g, 10a) in 13 games in March. Beaucage has 111 shots in 26 games. He has a point in 17 of his 26 games with Utah. Beaucage was the league's Player of the Week for March 4-10, 2024.
#27 Kyle Mayhew had 19 points in 13 games in March (7g, 12a). Mayhew leads all league rookie defenseman with 55 points (15g, 40a). The 15 goals are tied for 2nd in the league among league defensemen. Mayhew is 3rd among league rookies with 18 power play assists. Mayhew has a point in 8 of his last 9 games.
#29 Brandon Cutler has 21 points in 14 games in March (9g, 12a). He has a point in 13 of his last 16 games and 2 or more points in 6 of his last 15 games. Cutler is 2nd in the league with 258 shots on goal and is tied for 3rd with 34 goals. Cutler leads Utah with 10 power play goals. Cutler has 15 multiple point games this season.
Bear Bites: Grizzlies Team Notes
Utah went 21-12-3 at home this season. The Grizzlies averaged 6,003 fans per game this season. It was the largest average attendance in the Grizzlies ECHL era. It's the best attendance for the Grizzlies in a season since the AHL's Utah Grizzlies averaged 6,353 fans per game in the 2002-03 season. There were 6 home games with a crowd larger than 8,500. In the last 24 home games this season the Grizzlies averaged 6,762 fans per game. Utah is 23-5-3 when scoring first this season. Utah is 16-2 when leading after 1 period and 18-2-1 when leading after 2. Utah has outscored opponents 50 to 35 in the third periods over the last 34 games (2nd half of the season). The Grizzlies are 10-12-1 over their last 23 road games.
Great Crowds at Maverik Center
With a big crowd of 9,007 on Fan Appreciation Night at Maverik Center on April 6th the Grizzlies completed what turned out to be a memorable season with many big home crowds. The Grizzlies averaged 6,003 fans per game, which is the biggest average attendance since the Grizzlies joined the ECHL at the start of the 2005-06 season. It's the largest average attendance in team history since the 2002-03 campaign where the AHL's Grizzlies averaged 6,353 fans per game. The Grizzlies had 7 games with crowds larger than 8200 and 11 games of more than 7500. Since December 9, 2023 the Grizzlies averaged 6,762 fans per game (24 games).
Recent Transactions: Fairbrother Reassigned to Utah
April 11 - Grizzlies sign goaltender Vincent Duplessis
April 11 - Grizzlies sign forward Evan Friesen to ATO (Amateur Try-out).
April 9 - Defenseman Gianni Fairbrother reassigned to Utah from Colorado (AHL).
Defenseman Gianni Fairbrother was reassigned to the Grizzlies from the AHL's Colorado Eagles. Fairbrother has played in 6 games with the Grizzlies this season, scoring 2 assists. He appeared in 1 game with the Eagles this season. Fairbrother was selected in the 3rd round (77th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
April 2 - Grizzlies sign defenseman Connor Mayer.
April 1 - Grizzlies release forward Max Neill.
March 29 - Grizzlies sign forward Blake Wells.
March 28 - Grizzlies sign defenseman Luc Salem.
Grizzlies Among League Leaders
Brandon Cutler is tied for 3rd in the league with 34 goals this season. He is 2nd in shots on goal with 267. Brett Stapley is tied for 10th in the league with 71 points (24 goals, 47 assists). The 47 assists are tied for 10th most in the league.
Josh Wesley leads the league in goals among defensemen with 18. Wesley leads all league defensemen with 8 power play goals and is 2nd among defensemen with 187 shots on goal. Kyle Mayhew is 5th among league defensemen with 56 points. The 56 points for Mayhew lead all rookie defensemen. Mayhew is 3rd among league rookies with 19 power play assists and tied for 2nd with 23 power play points. Mick Messner is tied for the league lead among rookies with 3 shorthanded goals.
Brandon Cutler Joins Grizzlies 30 Goal Club
Brandon Cutler scored his 30th goal of the season on March 18th vs Norfolk. Cutler is the first Grizzly to reach 30- plus goals since Caleb Herbert tallied 32 goals for the 2018-19 club. Current Grizzlies Head Coach Ryan Kinasewich is the only player to have multiple 30 plus goal seasons in team history.
Grizzlies Single Season Goals Leaders
Ryan Kinasewich - 48 (2009-10).
Kinasewich - 39 (2005-06).
Kip Miller - 38 (1997-98).
Mark Lawrence - 36 (1997-98).
Brett Lievers - 36 (1995-96).
John Purves - 36 (1999-2000).
Brandon Cutler - 34 (2023-24).
Caleb Herbert - 32 (2018-19).
Tom May- 31 (2008-09).
Sean Tallaire - 31 (1999-2000).
Brad Lauer - 31 (1998-99).
Paul McIlveen - 30 (2011-12).
AJ Perry - 30 (2009-10).
Utah Had Success at Home
The Grizzlies went 21-12-3 at home this season. They have outscored opponents 121 to 115 at Maverik Center this season. 45 of Utah's 66 standings points have come at home. Utah's penalty kill is 8th in the league at home (90 for 110, 81.8 %). Utah is 11-0 at home when leading after 1 period and 14-1 when leading after 2 periods. The Grizz were 8-1-3 at home in one goal games. Utah was 17-1-2 at home when scoring first.
Grizzlies Ironmen: Players Who Have Appeared in Every Game
There are 3 players who have appeared in all 70 games for the Grizzlies this season. They are forwards Brandon Cutler, Mick Messner and Tyler Penner. For Penner it's the third consecutive season where he has appeared in every game. The last time the Grizzlies had 3 or more players appear in every game in a season was the 2005-06 season when Garett Cameron, Brad Herauf and Chad Starling each played in all 72 games.
2023-2024 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals (league rankings)
Overall record: 31-35-4
Home record: 21-12-3
Road record: 10-23-1
Win percentage: .471
Streak: Lost 3.
Standings Points: 66
Last 10: 3-5-2.
Goals per game: 3.20 (13th) Goals for: 224
Goals against per game: 3.69 (24th) Goals Against: 258
Shots per game: 31.64 (12th)
Shots against per game: 33.61 (23rd)
Power Play: 47 for 229 - 20.5 % (10th)
Penalty Kill: 163 for 218 - 74.8 % (27th)
Penalty Minutes: 738. 10.54 per game.
Shorthanded Goals: 5.
Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 8.
Record When Scoring First: 23-5-3.
Opposition Scores First: 8-30-1.
Record in One Goal Games: 12-9-4.
Games Decided Past Regulation: 6-0-4
Team Leaders
Goals: Brandon Cutler (34)
Assists: Brett Stapley (47)
Points: Stapley (71)
Plus/Minus: Bryan Yoon (+11)
PIM: Cutler (77)
Power Play Points: Kyle Mayew (23)
Power Play Goals: Brandon Cutler (10)
Power Play Assists: Mayhew (19)
Shots on Goal: Cutler (267) - 2nd in the league.
Shooting Percentage: Brett Stapley (13.7 %) - Minimum 60 shots.
Game Winning Goals: Cutler (5)
Wins: Dante Giannuzzi (13)
Save %: Trent Miner (.917)
Goals Against Average: Miner (2.75)
Shutouts: Giannuzzi/Garrett Metcalf (1)
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